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| Madison Region Economic Partnership | |
|---|---|
| Name | Madison Region Economic Partnership |
| Type | Economic development organization |
| Founded | 2008 |
| Headquarters | Madison, Wisconsin |
| Region served | Dane County, Wisconsin |
| Leader title | CEO |
Madison Region Economic Partnership
The Madison Region Economic Partnership is a regional economic development organization serving the Madison metropolitan area and surrounding counties in southern Wisconsin. It connects municipal leaders, academic institutions, private firms, philanthropic organizations, and workforce entities to attract investment, support business retention, and promote cluster growth. The partnership works with state agencies, research universities, community colleges, and civic foundations to align regional strategies for competitiveness and job creation.
The partnership operates within the Madison metropolitan statistical area and collaborates with local governments such as the City of Madison, Wisconsin, Dane County, Wisconsin, and neighboring municipalities like Sun Prairie, Wisconsin and Monona, Wisconsin. It engages with regional assets including University of Wisconsin–Madison, Madison Area Technical College, and research organizations such as the Morgridge Institute for Research and Wisconsin Institutes for Discovery. Private-sector stakeholders include firms headquartered in Epic Systems Corporation, Sub-Zero Group, Inc., and Promega Corporation, while philanthropic partners include the Madison Community Foundation and the Vilas Trust. The partnership's remit intersects with statewide entities like the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation and federal programs administered by the U.S. Economic Development Administration.
Established in the late 2000s through collaboration among municipal leaders, business executives, and higher education trustees, the partnership formed amid post-recession recovery efforts influenced by initiatives similar to those by the Milwaukee 7 and Greater Milwaukee Committee. Founding participants included representatives from University Research Park (Madison), the Madison Chamber of Commerce, and regional planning bodies such as the Capital Area Regional Planning Commission. Early strategy development borrowed frameworks from the Brookings Institution metropolitan research and economic clustering concepts popularized by Michael Porter at Harvard Business School. The organization’s formation paralleled other regional alliances like the Greater Des Moines Partnership and the Minneapolis Regional Chamber of Commerce.
The partnership is governed by a board comprising executives from private firms, elected officials from the City of Madison, Wisconsin and Dane County, Wisconsin, and leaders from University of Wisconsin–Madison and Madison Area Technical College. Executive leadership typically interfaces with agencies such as the Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development and the U.S. Small Business Administration. Committees reflect sectors represented by institutions like Exact Sciences Corporation, American Family Insurance, and GE Healthcare affiliates in the region. Corporate governance follows nonprofit best practices observed in organizations like the Economic Development Corporation of Utah and the Brookings Institution Metropolitan Policy Program.
Programs target site selection, business attraction, and talent pipeline development through partnerships with University Research Park (Madison), workforce programs at Madison Area Technical College, and entrepreneurship supports linked to Wisconsin Innovation Network nodes. Initiatives include industry-targeted marketing akin to campaigns by SelectUSA and sector development modeled after Massachusetts Life Sciences Center strategies. Workforce initiatives coordinate with Workforce Solutions Dane County and training programs funded by the U.S. Department of Labor. Small business supports align with resources from SBDC Wisconsin and venture networks like Gener8tor and Madison Venture Capital firms.
Key clusters supported include biotechnology, medical devices, information technology, advanced manufacturing, and agribusiness. Anchor institutions such as University of Wisconsin–Madison and Epic Systems Corporation drive research commercialization comparable to ecosystems around Stanford University and MIT. Medical and biotech firms collaborate with clinical partners like UW Health and UnityPoint Health. Advanced manufacturing ties to suppliers servicing companies like Harley-Davidson and regional food producers in Green County, Wisconsin. The partnership assesses impacts on employment, payroll, and tax base similar to analyses conducted by the Bureau of Economic Analysis and Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago.
Collaborators include academic partners University of Wisconsin–Madison, Madison College, research parks such as Bradley Technology Park, and civic organizations like the Madison Rotary Club and Greater Madison Chamber of Commerce. The partnership works with statewide entities including the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation and national networks like International Economic Development Council and Council of Development Finance Agencies. Cross-regional ties extend to neighboring metropolitan initiatives like the Milwaukee 7 and the Quad Cities Chamber for supply-chain linkages.
Funding sources comprise membership dues from corporations and municipalities, grants from foundations like the Lubar Family Foundation and federal awards from the U.S. Economic Development Administration, as well as program fees and sponsorships from firms such as American Family Insurance and Exact Sciences Corporation. Budget oversight involves finance committees that benchmark against nonprofit fiscal practices from organizations like United Way Worldwide and audit standards from Government Accountability Office guidance when federal funds are used.
The partnership tracks metrics including jobs attracted, capital investment, new business formations, and workforce training completions using methodologies similar to those from the International Economic Development Council and Urban Institute evaluations. Reported outcomes reference expansions by companies like Epic Systems Corporation, start-ups spun out of University of Wisconsin–Madison research, and workforce credential attainment at Madison Area Technical College. Impact assessments are compared with regional indicators published by the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago and state reports from the Wisconsin Department of Revenue.
Category:Economic development organizations in the United States