PPF Says Milwaukee Innovation is “Work in Progress”

The Milwaukee region’s transition to the knowledge-based economy may best be described as a work in progress, according to the recent report “Pursuing Innovation: Benchmarking Milwaukee’s Transition to a Knowledge Based Economy.” The report was published by the non-partisan Public Policy Forum (PPF), a Milwaukee non-profit that focuses on policy research issues impacting southeast Wisconsin.

Their findings concluded that many regional trends are positive, including growing university research and development spending, higher educational attainment levels and more jobs created by small firms. Far less promising, however, was the data pertaining to the region’s negative or flat trends in patent activity, number of scientists and engineers and knowledge workers per capita.

“I was pleased to see the Public Policy Forum devoting the proper attention to these issues. However, as the city’s economy continues to recover from the recent recession, it is critical for area businesses to commit the necessary time, talent and resources to their research and development efforts,” explained Michael J. Gratz, Boyle Fredrickson founding shareholder and Vice President. “It is clear that if Milwaukee is to continue to prosper and grow, increasing innovation levels must be a top priority for its business leaders.”

The innovation report can be found on the Public Policy Forum website. Of particular note is the Innovation Index that presents baseline data for measures that have been closely linked to the 21st century economy: idea development and commercialization, entrepreneurship, and the availability of knowledgeable and skilled workers. A “Snapshot” of these findings is also available online.