Few, if any, sectors in Wisconsin have been more at the center of the COVID-19 fight than the biohealth industry.
Lisa Johnson, chief executive officer of BioForward Wisconsin, said the sector includes life sciences, medical devices, digital health and health systems. BioForward is a membership organization that represents more than 200 companies in the sector in Wisconsin.
On the latest BizTimes MKE Podcast, Johnson discussed some of the industry’s lessons learned from the COVID-19 fight, but also highlighted its opportunity to attract new talent to Wisconsin. She said the state is uniquely positioned because its biohealth sector is not overly concentrated in any one area.
“You tend to see other states be very concentrated,” Johnson said.
She said the pandemic has helped create a scenario where the sector’s workforce is more open to living in other areas, especially away from the coasts, but many other regions around the country are also making a play to attract talent.
“We have to continue to invest in education in this state. This is one thing that we’ve had a history of good education, our university systems are outstanding, we cannot let these go down. This is where we are getting an abundance of our talent,” Johnson said.
“We want to have our voices heard loud and clear, invest in education in this state. It’s what we have going for us over many other states, we cannot let this go down,” she added
Hear more from Johnson in the embedded podcast above or subscribe to the BizTimes MKE Podcast on Apple or Spotify.
