Lab Coats & Local Roots: Fitchrona’s Biotech

You might not think of lab coats and RNAi therapies as being right here in our own backyard, but Fitchburg and Verona are quietly becoming major players in Wisconsin’s fast-growing pharmaceutical and biotech scene.

Fitchburg: The OG Biotech Hub

Fitchburg’s been in the biotech game since the early 2000s, thanks to the creation of the Fitchburg Technology Neighborhood—a sprawling 2,000-acre district designed to attract high-tech innovation. Think biotech, advanced manufacturing, and IT all thriving in one spot.

At the heart of it? Promega Corporation, a global life sciences heavyweight based right in Fitchburg Center. They’re known worldwide for their genomics and molecular biology work, but they’re also fantastic neighbors—investing in education and community programs through the BioPharmaceutical Technology Center Institute (BTCI).

And they’re not alone. The Fitchburg Technology Campus and RDC Tech Lands offer top-notch lab and office space, especially handy for startups fresh out of UW–Madison’s talent pipeline. A few more local biotech stars worth a shout-out:

• Thermo Fisher Scientific – offering a range of biotech products and services right off Verona Road.

• ibidi USA, Inc. – a Nobel Drive gem specializing in cell-based assays and imaging.

• Coating Place, Inc. – longtime Fitchburg staple, mastering pharmaceutical coating tech for decades.

Verona: The New Kid Making Big Moves

Not to be outdone, Verona is stepping into the biotech spotlight in a big way.

Arrowhead Pharmaceuticals is setting up a new $250 million campus in the Verona Technology Park—a huge facility that’ll handle drug manufacturing and cutting-edge research into therapies that literally silence disease-causing genes. Once it’s up and running, it’s expected to bring over 230 jobs to town.

Backing from both the city ($16M) and the state ($2.5M in tax credits) shows just how seriously everyone is taking this project. And Arrowhead isn’t the only biotech name calling Verona home:

• JangoBio – exploring hormone restoration through regenerative medicine.

• Stem Pharm – creating advanced biomaterials for stem cell and regenerative therapies.

Looking Ahead: A Biohealth Powerhouse

Together, Fitchburg and Verona are anchoring a regional biotech corridor that’s part of Wisconsin’s Biohealth Tech Hub—an ambitious initiative aiming to add $9 billion and 30,000 jobs to the state’s biohealth economy over the next decade. And with other regional leaders like Exact Sciences, MilliporeSigma, and Catalent in the mix, our area’s reputation for scientific innovation is only growing.

The bottom line? Fitchburg built the blueprint. Verona’s scaling it up. And together, these two are quietly powering some of the most exciting biohealth innovation in the country—right here in our corner of Dane County.