MadREP Report | April 14, 2021
Wisconsinites over sixteen are eligible to get the COVID-19 vaccine at no cost. The faster we can get Madison Region residents vaccinated, the sooner we can return to normal activities. Please visit the Wisconsin Department of Health Services COVID-19 vaccine page to learn where you can be vaccinated.

While we're encouraged by Wisconsin's vaccine rollout, we would be remiss if we didn't remind you how important our individual behavior is on the road to economic recovery. Please take care of yourselves. Practice social distancing. Wear a mask. For the latest reopening and recovery resources, be sure to check the MadREP website often.
MadREP Data Spotlight: What does it mean? Real GDP is an economic indicator providing an overall picture of the economy and its performance. It is a measure of the value of economic output produced by an economic system, adjusted for inflation and price changes. While GDP indicates an economy’s size, GDP per capita correlates with worker productivity and living standards, and GDP growth can serve as an indicator of economic growth. Check out MadREP's Data Dashboard for more.
Building a Gaming Industry Ecosystem in the Madison Region
Between 2010 and 2020, the Madison Region has seen a 76.4% increase in Computer Systems Design and Related Services (NAICS 54151) jobs, a category that includes video game development. That number is even more startling when compared against a 50% increase throughout the United States. (Emsi)

Wisconsin has a relatively low cost of doing business when compared to other states currently dominating the game development landscape. Business owners looking to relocate or establish new or satellite offices find Wisconsin to be an affordable option. The low cost of living/doing business, access to talent, the existing industry network and the high quality of life come together to make Wisconsin a viable option.

Our Region’s booming game development industry was recently highlighted in an article by the Wisconsin State Journal. Several major studios either started or recently located locations here because of the quality of our talent. The article called out major game title franchises with connections to Madison, including Call of Duty, Disney Heroes, Star Wars, Fallout, Elder Scrolls and PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds (PUBG). Just last month PUBG Mobile, which has offices in Madison, made international headlines when they announced one billion downloads worldwide.

Also mentioned in the State Journal article was the Wisconsin Games Alliance, a statewide center of excellence developed by MadREP. Today, the network of participants represents game studios, independent developers, faculty, investors, and economic development organizations with the shared mission of promoting Wisconsin as a premier site for game development and design.

“One of the main goals of developing WGA is to put the Madison Region on the map as a premier hub for game development,” said Craig Kettleson, MadREP’s enterprise development director. “The gaming industry is a substantial part of the Information Communications Technology industry here and we can only benefit from cultivating it. I hope we’ll be able to do the same with eSports in the coming years.”


Four Things You Need to Know This Week
In a Bipartisan Meeting, Biden Makes the Case for His Plan

The president met with lawmakers from both parties in an effort to show some flexibility on the size of his $2 trillion proposal and how to pay for it.

Read more
www.nytimes.com
Developer Wants to Raze Coliseum and Wonder Bars

A developer is proposing to demolish two popular, adjacent, South Side bar-restaurants for a $40 million-plus, 18-story housing project with first-floor commercial and office space near the Alliant Energy Center.

Read more
madison.com
Nine Wisconsin Gov's Biz Plan Contest Finalists in Region

Twenty-five people remain in the finalist round of the eighteenth Wisconsin Governor's Business Plan Contest, the Wisconsin Technology Council announced Thursday. Nine of those are in the Madison Region.

Read more
www.nbc15.com
Wisconsin Reports Almost 25% of Population Fully Vaccinated

Wisconsin health officials reported nearly a quarter of the state's population has completed COVID-19 vaccination on Sunday.

Read more
spectrumnews1.com
Reopening & Recovery Resources
WEDC Reopening Guidelines

The future will require the gradual adoption of new business practices that reflect the evolving reality of the COVID-19...

Read more
wedc.org
COVID-19: Where you can get vaccinated

Use the resources on this page to find out where you can get vaccinated. Please be patient, as vaccinators will prioritize the state's most vulnerable populations or previously eligible groups before others. Questions about the COVID-19 vaccine?

Read more
www.dhs.wisconsin.gov
MadREP Partner Spotlight
Support from partners like these make our work possible. Want to get involved? Email jmoore@madisonregion.org