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Category: Business/Technology
Report: More Biofuels Needed For UW Power Plant
WISC-TV 3
A report said Wisconsin’s biofuels market must be expanded so Gov. Jim Doyle’s plan to convert a power plant at the University of Wisconsin-Madison will be successful.
Depression spurred protests here, birth of unemployment insurance
Capital Times
In 1931, Madison newspapers reported an ominous sign of the economic gloom that would lower like a fog over Dane County by the middle of the following year: a spike in the number of households evicted on Sept. 1, the city’s traditional “moving day,” for owing back rent.
Three Campus-Area Bars Could Lose Liquor Licenses
WISC-TV 3
Three campus-area bars might not have their liquor licenses renewed because of alleged violations, according to papers filed by city officials.
Madison job growth ranks in the middle of the pack
Capital Times
When economists read the statistical tea leaves, seeking signs of an easing recession, they often look for a bottoming of the stock market or an uptick in factory orders.
But the economic picture for thousands of working people across Wisconsin won’t improve until the job picture brightens. And on the jobs front, there’s some good news for Madison, which was just rated No. 1 among medium-sized cities for so-called Next Generation workers. These are younger, tech-savvy people who want “a good job in a great city,” according to Next Generation Consulting, which produced the list.
Quoted: Noel Radomski, director of the Wisconsin Center for the Advancement of Postsecondary Education (WISCAPE)
Madison Businesses Enjoy Heavy Traffic Commencement Weekend
WISC-TV 3
MADISON, Wis. — Many Madison-area businesses enjoyed heavy traffic over the weekend as thousands of visitors were in the capital city for graduation ceremonies at the University of Wisconsin.
After the approximately 5,000 UW students of the class of 2009 were handed their diploma at the Kohl Center, the graduates â?? and their proud friends and families in attendance â?? looked to celebrate.
Programs to help young entrepreneurs burgeoning
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
Halfway into a five-year, $5 million grant to spur entrepreneurship, the University of Wisconsin-Madison has started a host of programs designed to help get students into business.
The university has used the money to roll out new initiatives, from an arts enterprise club to a specialized dorm community and an event similar to speed dating, only with experienced entrepreneurs, said Charles B. Hoslet, senior special assistant to the chancellor and managing director of UW-Madison’s office of corporate relations.
Business Beat: Furloughs aren’t perfect, but they beat the alternative
Capital Times
…despite past state budget rants, I’m not glad to see anyone take a pay cut. But welcome to 2009. You could be one of the thousands who once toiled at General Motors, Consolidated Papers, Harley-Davidson or GE Healthcare. Those jobs are not coming back anytime soon.
Still, with a $6.5 billion state budget hole that keeps on growing, something had to give. At least 15 other states, including once-envied Minnesota, are also furloughing public workers.
Kollege Klub gets to keep liquor license after hearing is canceled
Wisconsin State Journal
Fed up with fights, disturbances and underage drinkers, Madison police had planned to take a new tack with the popular Kollege Klub bar near UW-Madison: Try to block the annual renewal of its liquor license.
But the effort to delicense the bar â?? named by Playboy magazine as one of the best campus party spots in the nation â?? ran aground earlier this week over a communications breakdown among city officials, leaving the cityâ??s Alcohol License Review Committee the option of only imposing modest conditions on the barâ??s liquor license.
U.S. Bank plans office in University Square
Wisconsin State Journal
U.S. Bank is targeting the UW-Madison campus community with a new full-service office scheduled to open in early summer at 389 East Campus Mall in the University Square building.
Madison may not renew Kollege Klub’s liquor license
Wisconsin State Journal
Fed up with disturbances, fights and repeated citations for serving underage drinkers, Madison may not renew the liquor license at the popular Kollege Klub bar near UW-Madison.
Founded at 714 State St. in 1953 and moved to its present location at 529 N. Lake St. in 1972, the bar has been ranked by Playboy magazine as one of the best campus party spots in the nation.
Construction projects to take over campus
Daily Cardinal
Construction projects around campus and the downtown Madison area will cause traffic problems beginning in mid-May and extending through summer, forcing commuters to find alternative routes around campus and the city.
Council approves final design for Union South
Badger Herald
The Wisconsin Union Council announced their support of the new Union Southâ??s final design Wednesday, marking the last vote of endorsement before the contractor bidding process begins this summer.
Pfizer, WARF sign stem cell research deal
Badger Herald
The Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation and Pfizer, the number one biopharmaceutical corporation in the world, signed a research license this week for the use of human embryonic stem cells.
Campus Connection: WARF, Pfizer ink embryonic stem cell deal
Capital Times
The Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation (WARF) will allow Pfizer Inc. to use some of its patented human embryonic stem cell lines for the development of new drug therapies.
WARF, the private, nonprofit patenting and licensing arm of the University of Wisconsin-Madison, announced the signing of the licensing agreement Tuesday. Janet Kelly, a spokesperson for WARF, said financial terms of the deal were confidential.
Pfizer, WARF reach accord on stem-cell drug therapies
Wisconsin State Journal
Pfizer Inc. on Tuesday announced a licensing agreement with the Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation, or WARF, for the development of drug therapies using human embryonic stem cells.
The pharmaceutical giant said it would use embryonic stem cells, discovered by UW-Madison researcher James Thomson in 1998, to improve drug safety, screen new drugs and develop cell therapies.
Hundreds gather at Chazen groundbreaking ceremony
The Chazen Museum of Art celebrated its groundbreaking ceremony Friday with Madison community members.
Over 100 students, faculty, and community members gathered at 750 University Avenue to witness the ceremony. When completed, the museum will offer twice the gallery space than that of the current museum, an outdoor plaza, study rooms and a glass-walled lobby that students will be able to peer into when passing by.
Why life is still good for business school students â?¦ in Wisconsin (Slate Magazine)
Living and working in the New York region’s financial-media complex in 2009 means daily, compulsory attendance at a gathering of the glum. The economy may be shrinking at a 6 percent annual rate, but finance and media have contracted by about 30 percent. For the past year, the daily routine has meant sitting in a depopulated office (assuming you still have a job); following the latest grim news of magazine closings, buyouts, and layoffs; and commiserating with friends, family, and neighbors. And, of course, the angst extends far beyond directly affected companies. Finance dominates the area’s economy to such a degree that everybodyâ??lawyers, accountants, real estate brokers, waiters, retailers, and cab driversâ??have all been affected.
UW graduates face bleak employment outlook, disappointed by job prospects
Daily Cardinal
Recent UW-Madison graduate Marissa Arnold works as a public relations associate for a small firm in New York City, and like many other recent grads looking for work in a tough economy, she feels underwhelmed and disappointed by employment prospects.
UW MBA program up a notch in rankings (The Business Journal of Milwaukee)
The University of Wisconsin-Madison’s School of Business moved up a notch in the latest edition of U.S. News and World Report’s “Best Graduate Schools.”
The school ranked 28th overall, up from 29th last year. The school’s marketing specialty ranked 22nd, and the supply chain/logistics specialty tied for 15th, the university said.
Toxic Assets: A non-joke band of biz-schoolers (Decider Madison)
Who says business school doesn’t rock? Pretty much everybody, actually, and with the endless media onslaught on the decline of the economy, it’s likely that economists are near the top of most people’s shit lists. So what business does a bunch of business professors and economists have playing in a rock band? Turns out it’s serious stuffâ??at least according to Morris Davis of Toxic Assets, a band comprised of UW-Madison biz-school faculty. Decider spoke with Davis about playing Rock Your Stocks Off, a b-school throwdown coming up on Sunday at the High Noon Saloon.
Clubbers brawl on University Avenue
Capital Times
Madison police broke up a large brawl early Sunday morning outside the Madison Avenue nightclub, but no one was injured or arrested.
University of Wisconsin-Madison students compete for the best business brainchild
Wisconsin State Journal
Electric bicycles. Bring-your-own-bottle vending machines. Ergonomic piano benches. Disease assessment tools for developing countries.
Those are some of the ideas that UW-Madison students want to turn into working companies.
They presented their concepts Friday at the G. Steven Burrill Business Plan Competition at Grainger Hall, home of the School of Business.
Burrill biz plan competition Friday at UW
Capital Times
The annual G. Steven Burrill Business Plan Competition at the University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Business will take place on Friday.
This year’s entrants range from high-tech flavored plastics and eco-friendly vending machines to micro-gifting services and medical devices for emerging countries, according to a UW news release.
State economy still faces uphill battle in crisis
Daily Cardinal
Officials including President Obama have recently stated the economic crisis that has gripped the country might be bottoming out.
However, financial indicators across Wisconsin point toward some uncertainty and tough decisions for several months ahead, with no recovery guaranteed, according to numerous economic observers.
Gulbrandsen: Stimulus seen as boost for UW-Madison research
www.wisbusiness.com
Carl E. Gulbrandsen, WARF managing director, told a recent WisBusiness.com luncheon that the new federal stimulus package is good news for UW-Madison research.
â??The university is in the sweet spot of the stimulus package,â? Gulbrandsen said, singling out projects like the Wisconsin Institutes for Discovery being built on campus, and the medical research, bio-energy and green energy sectors.
He said WARF, which helps spur UW-Madison research then licenses results to the private sector, is an â??83-year-old start-upâ? that has had â??one home run after anotherâ? dating back to Vitamin D discoveries in the 1920s.
Some think Badger Bus’ plan to close its depot is shortsighted
Capital Times
By most accounts, the proposed redevelopment of the Badger Bus depot on West Washington Avenue into a mixed-use retail and luxury apartment site is a relatively modest project, maxing out at five stories along one of the city’s most prominent corridors. But it’s what the development will replace — a downtown transit hub that has been in place for decades — that is generating controversy and sparking di
Business Beat: Urban digs for University Research Park
Capital Times
Madison has long dreamed of a leafy “Central Park” in the blighted industrial corridor between East Washington Avenue and Williamson Street. Ambitious plans there have included water features, gardens, market space and walking paths.
While the concept has been generally well received — who’s against turning a train yard into a parkway? — hassles with the railroad, tight budgets and other priorities at City Hall have the project on a slow track.
But the area some real-estate types are now pitching as “Willy-Wash” is slowly emerging on its own as a center for housing, business, entertainment and employment rather than a respite from urban living.
Last week, the University Research Park gave the area a badly needed boost by unveiling its “Metro Innovation Center” inside the former Marquip factory at the corner of East Wash and Baldwin Street. Old-timers will remember the site as the Gisholt factory, which at one point made huge gun barrels for Navy war ships.
UW report: WMC claims of excessive litigation are bogus
Capital Times
Advocacy groups have long claimed Wisconsin’s overly litigious climate costs state businesses money and keeps others from locating here in the first place. For the past few years, Wisconsin Manufacturers and Commerce, the state’s largest business lobby, has made reforming the state’s legal system one of its top priorities — proclaiming that excessive litigation “is costing businesses and individuals billions of dollars, and is affecting our international competitiveness.”
Not true, says a new study published by the University of Wisconsin-Madison’s Law School that aims to “examine some of the persistent myths” about civil litigation. In fact, it says, the number of civil cases in which individuals seek compensation for personal injury and property damage fell 17.4 percent in Wisconsin from 1996-2007.
Want to Save Some Money? Shop Without Touching
Time
To prove the power of touch, the researchers placed two products, a Slinky and a coffee mug, in front of 231 undergraduate students at the University of Wisconsin. About half were told they could touch the products, while the other half were prohibited from fiddling with them. Students were then asked to express their sense of ownership of the products, and to indicate how much they money they were willing to pay for both the Slinky and coffee mug.
The results were clear: those who touched the items reported statistically significant higher levels of perceived ownership. They were also willing to pay more to purchase the products. “If you don’t want to spend more money, be careful what you touch,” says Joann Peck, a marketing professor at the University of Wisconsin’s business school and the study’s other co-author. Peck happily describes herself as an expert in haptics, the science of touch; she has published six other papers on the subject. “Touching something gives you that little sense of control,” she says, “and that alone can increase your feeling of ownership.”
Metro Innovation Center provides incubator for University of Wisconsin-Madison entrepreneurs
Wisconsin State Journal
A landmark Near East Side factory building has come back to life as a high-tech business incubator aimed at brewing the big ideas of University of Wisconsin-Madison students and faculty.
The Metro Innovation Center is open for business â?? a sleek set of 10 suites equipped with the latest voice and data technology as well as two conference rooms and a small kitchen.
Stock market’s students feel its pain
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
When Derek Jose enrolled in the University of Wisconsin’s Stephen L. Hawk Center for Applied Security Analysis in September 2007, the Dow Jones Industrial Average was racing to 14,000 and the program’s freshly minted grads were settling into investment jobs that paid an average of $84,000 plus bonuses.
Now, Jose is 28, newly married, burdened by $60,000 in student loans and on the cusp of graduating into an investment world shattered by a calamitous bear market.
Welcome to Wall Street, kid.
Wind power leader partners with University of Wisconsin-Madison
Capital Times
World wind power leader Vestas is partnering with the University of Wisconsin-Madison College of Engineering to propel wind energy research and provide funding support to students working on new wind technology.
The partnership was announced Wednesday.
“Wind energy is a growing source of new power generation in the world, and the technology has even greater untapped potential,” said Thomas Jahns, professor of power electronics and electrical machines. “By teaming with an industry leader like Vestas, our research environment will thrive.”
Slow hiring of college graduates: non-profits to benefit
Wisconsin Technology Network
Noted: The Wisconsin School of Business at the University of Wisconsin-Madison has seen the number of companies coming to campus shrink by approximately 15 percent as compared to 2008, according to Steve Schroeder. Heâ??s the assistant dean of that universityâ??s undergraduate program and the director of the career center at the school.
â??Students are getting fewer job offers and some companies have unfortunately rescinded some offers. In 2008, a typical student probably had three to five job offers. In 2009, students are excited to get one or two offers. There is general uncertainty and nervousness from recruiters as well as students,â? said Schroeder in an e-mail to Challenger researchers.
Will a greener America create 5 million jobs?
Capital Times
Just about every plan to help revive the American economy includes talk of green jobs.
President Barack Obama has used the phrase frequently in the past months, vowing to create 5 million “green collar jobs” during his first term in office.
The goal would be accomplished by ensuring that 10 percent of the nation’s electricity comes from renewable sources by 2012; weatherizing one million homes annually; developing clean coal technology and prioritizing construction of the Alaska natural gas pipeline.
Quoted: Joel Rogers, director of the university’s Center on Wisconsin Strategy
Study: hospitals a source of economic growth in Wisconsin
Daily Cardinal
Even in light of current economic turmoil, Wisconsin hospitals have remained strong and benefit the stateâ??s economy, according to a study released Thursday by UW-Extension and the Wisconsin Hospital Association.
Madison ranked No. 3 among midsized cities
Wisconsin State Journal
Madison was ranked third behind Provo, Utah, and Boulder, Colo., among 124 midsized metropolitan areas for the best quality of life, according to a new study by Bizjournals, a publisher of metropolitan business newspapers.
The ranking noted the presence in Madison of a major university and the state Capitol, giving the city a stable and upscale employment base. The study also said 44 percent of Madison workers hold management or professional jobs, higher than the 33 percent for a typical midsized metropolitan area.
Get Smart(er) (Entrepreneur Magazine)
Noted: Other schools on the entrepreneurship vanguard: Arizona State University; University of Wisconsin-Madison; Oberlin College; University of Iowa; California State University, Fresno; Massachusetts Institute of Technology; Stanford University; University of Maryland-Baltimore County.
Internship Hiring Is Tanking (BusinessWeek)
BusinessWeek
There will be a lot of empty space at the University of Wisconsin at Madison’s upcoming career fair for students from the College of Letters & Science. Last year, 43 employers turned out to talk up their internship programs and full-time opportunities; this year only 23 plan to attend. It’s gotten so bad that business students, who normally clamor for jobs with investment banks and consulting companies, are settling for less. “Retail used to be not that appealing to business studentsâ??it’s kind of a back-up plan,” says career services director Leslie Kohlberg. Not anymore.
FluGen to use Ratio’s vaccine-delivery technology
Wisconsin State Journal
Two Madison biotechnology companies are working together on a new type of influenza vaccine, and a new way to give the immunization.
FluGen, which is developing vaccines to fight flu and other infectious diseases, says it has obtained exclusive rights to technology developed by Ratio. Terms are not being disclosed.
Ratioâ??s disposable device is about the size of a poker chip and is equipped with a set of tiny needles. When a button is pressed on the device, a pump sends the vaccine through the needles and into the skin. It doesnâ??t go through the skin and into the muscle, though, as a traditional vaccine syringe does.
The method makes the vaccination painless and more effective, the two companies say.
‘Creative class’ Madison still a favorite of author Florida
Capital Times
Richard Florida, author of “The Rise of the Creative Class,” has always had nice things to say about Madison. In his 2002 book, he ranked Madison No. 1 among small cities with metro populations of 250,000 to 500,000.
Florida has long argued that communities which offer a stimulating working environment for creative people will thrive in the 21st century. This includes towns that embrace the arts, pop music, gay people and ethnic food.
Quoted: UW-Madison professor of real estate Steve Malpezzi, who says it’s way too early to proclaim the housing is crisis over.
New University to Open
NBC-15
….Globe University is a career college that works closely with the Minnesota School of Business.
Said Brock Vandervelden, who’s with the university, “We extend an opportunity for people who want something different. Let’s say they were downsized. The can come here get some retraining and get placed in a career they want to get into.”
Not only will the university employ and train local workers for the future, they are also making a more current economic impact.
New Web site focuses on local biotech industry
Capital Times
Local biotech entrepreneur Russell Smestad announced the launch of a Web site that aims to enhance the visibility of the Madison biotechnology industry, to facilitate finding local career opportunities in biotech, and to provide a private networking forum for its executive talent.
Smestadâ??s new company is Biotech Profiles LLC and the site is BiotechProfiles.com.
Small Business Owners Trying To Hold On
WISC-TV 3
Despite a recent stock market rally, no one is yet calling the current recession over.
As countless large companies across the nation have suffered losses due to the economic downturn, small locally-owned businesses are trying to avoid the same fate.
And many of them are turning to the University of Wisconsin-Madison’s Small Business Development Center for advice.
UW System ties with Harvard for most CEOs among graduates
Wisconsin State Journal
The University of Wisconsin System tied with Harvard University for educating the most chief executive officers of major companies in 2008, according to one report.
That Harvard University is churning out the heads of top businesses in no surprise, but the perch of UW System graduates is perhaps more unexpected.
The calculations, by global executive search firm Spencer Stuart, include individuals who graduated from any school in the UW System, although the majority are likely University of Wisconsin-Madison alumni.
Stimulus stiffs biotech start-ups
Capital Times
With all the stimulus money getting tossed around these days, you’d figure biotechnology would be near the top of the wish list.
Instead, specific funding for early stage science companies was practically written out of the $780 billion package, claims the president of Madison-based Centrose LLC.
A line inserted into the massive spending bill says $10 billion in stimulus funds provided to the National Institutes of Health are exempt from a previous requirement that 2.5 percent of NIH research money go to private companies.
New stem cell rules could mean jobs for MATC students
WKOW-TV 27
MADISON (WKOW) — Students at Madison Area Technical College are preparing for a new wave of interest in stem cell studies, after President Barack Obama lifted restrictions on federal funding. Even though MATC wouldn’t directly receive any money, instructors say the possibility of stem cell labs benefitting from President Obamas decision could trickle down to the school in other ways.
MATC offers the only 2-year program in the country with training in embryonic stem cells, according to a spokesperson. Right now, more than 60 students are working toward biotech laboratory degrees.
Obama to allow stem-cell funds
Daily Cardinal
President Obama is set to sign an executive order Monday reversing President Bushâ??s ban on federal funding for embryonic stem-cell research.
Sour situation at Babcock Dairy Store: Fired manager wants job back
Capital Times
The University of Wisconsin-Madison fired the manager of its landmark dairy store last year for selling outdated ice cream and for other food safety and quality problems, according to her dismissal letter.
The manager, Eileen Karre, claims she was unfairly let go and is appealing to get her job back.
Four students receive cash prizes for inventions
Daily Cardinal
Directors of the third annual Wiscontrepreneur Challenge awarded cash prizes to four creative, unique student projects.
Moe: Students get creative with surplus junk
Wisconsin State Journal
On Monday afternoon, for what may have been the first time in 30 years, I was back in a classroom on the UW-Madison campus.
Like the old days, I tried to hide in the back row. Still, once I heard about this event, there was no keeping me away.
“This is like the Academy Awards,” Doug Bradley was saying into a microphone, up on stage. “Only a week later.”
UW-Madison Students Participate In Entrepreneur Challenge
WISC-TV 3
Dozens of entrepreneurial University of Wisconsin-Madison students took part in a 100-hour “Wiscontrepreneur” challenge.
The contest required teams to use materials from the UW Swap shop — the campus store selling surplus equipment — to create a valuable, innovative or socially beneficial product.
“I think you learned a little bit about what it might take to be an entrepreneur. I hope some of you are invigorated with that spirit and are ready to take the plunge and do something with this,” Doug Bradley, of the UW-Madison Office of Corporate Relations, said to the participants.
Student inventors get paid
Badger Herald
A dress made of air filters, a â??drunk tankâ? that captures party crashers, a water purification system and a terrarium made of test tubes became winners Monday of the University of Wisconsinâ??s third annual 100-Hour Challenge.
Madison Alder & UW students develop property ratings website
WKOW-TV 27
MADISON (WKOW) — Madison Alderman Eli Judge is working with UW-Madison students to develop a “Madison Property Ratings” website for the campus area.
The project will help renters and property owners by focusing on the quality of campus area housing in Madison.
The site will be similar to the already popular “Rate My Professor” site, but instead will encourage renters to rate their landlords and the properties they rent.
Unique dress wins Wiscontrepreneur Challenge
Capital Times
A dress made out of air filters, yellow wire, vacuum filters and foam peanuts was the most creative entry in the annual 100-hour Wiscontrepreneur Challenge on the University of Wisconsin-Madison campus.
A record 63 entries made by almost 200 students competed for honors in four categories in the third annual competition, put on by UW-Madison Office of Corporate Relations.
UW announces winners in 100-Hour Wiscontrepreneur Challenge
WKOW-TV 27
Winners were announced Monday in the University of Wisconsin’s 100-Hour Wiscontrepreneur Challenge.
The third annual event attracted a record of nearly 200 students and 63 entries, compared to last year’s 17, during the four-day competition.
Pell Grants to go up with stimulus
Badger Herald
President Barack Obamaâ??s new budget for the 2010 fiscal year proposed Thursday called for the abolition of bank-based student loan programs and directed funding towards maximum Pell Grants.
‘Biomass briefing’ March 6 in Richland Center
Capital Times
Three power plants in Wisconsin and Illinois are planning to uses hundreds of thousands of tons of biomass fuel as their fuel source, but the big question is, where will the fuel come from?
Farmers, conservationists and foresters will get together on March 6 for a “biomass briefing” at the Ramada Inn in Richland Center. The goal is to learn about what types of biomass are possible to be grown in southwest Wisconsin and if biomass is a sustainable energy source.
Local biotech Stratatech gains state loan
Capital Times
A Madison biotech firm is getting a state loan to help develop and finalize clinical trials of new regenerative tissue products.
Stratatech Corp. is getting a $500,000 loan from the Wisconsin Department of Commerce for help funding an $11 million project to develop cell-based, tissue-engineered products for wound care.
City takes step toward bio-ag incubator
Capital Times
The Madison City Council voted early Wednesday morning to approve an application for federal funds to grow the city’s bio-agriculture industry, but held off on committing any of its own dollars yet.
….The incubator would provide start-up companies in the bio-agriculture industry — a combination of biotechnology, agriculture, food science and sustainability — with lower rents and shared resources such as greenhouses, technology and field testing sites.