As Milwaukee's technology community strives to expand through efforts like accelerator programs, venture capital firms and upskilling initiatives, it's competing with dozens of other midsize U.S. cities — as well as established coastal tech hubs — for employers, talent and money.
"Many places are in exactly the same boat as Milwaukee — they're doing interesting things, they're trying hard, they've got programs," said Robert Atkinson, president and CEO of the Information Technology and Innovation Foundation, a Washington, D.C., think tank. "Everybody's competing for a limited piece of the pie. There's too much competition, nobody can really break out and you can't get sustained advantage."
Atkinson, who visited Milwaukee last month to speak to students at Catholic Memorial High School in Waukesha, supports a proposed national program that would designate and fund multiple nascent U.S. technology hubs. It could help cities like Milwaukee accelerate their growth in the tech sector.
The idea is included in the United States Innovation and Competition Act (USICA), which passed in the U.S. Senate in June and is being considered by the House.
"The key to success is to get some level of critical mass that separates (regions) out from the rest of the herd, if you will," Atkinson said. "That's hard to do on your own."
The Senate bill calls for a national competition to award grants totaling around $10 billion over five years to at least three up-and-coming tech hubs in each of the Economic Development Administration’s six regions in order to "diffuse innovation around the United States," according to the bill's text.
According to Atkinson's research with the Brookings Institution about potential new U.S. technology growth centers, Madison ranks highest based on its size, innovation capacity and skilled labor force. Milwaukee ranked No. 17 on the list, tied with Boise, Idaho.
At least a third of the grants would need to benefit rural communities, according to the Senate bill, which is sponsored by U.S. Sens. Chuck Schumer (D-New York) and Todd Young (R-Indiana). The majority of the funding would go to support workforce development programs, business and entrepreneurship development activities, and initiatives that support technology maturation and infrastructure, according to the Senate bill.
The House version of the bill, known as the ‘‘Regional Innovation Act of 2021,’’ calls for around $7 billion in grants to regional technology hubs and is still in the committee stage.
Atkinson said he believes the initiative will pass in some capacity, it's just a matter of how much funding it will get.
