A Rally in Manufacturing

The Wisconsin Drives Manufacturing Summit was about bringing the state’s strengths, resources, and people into alignment. Renee Meiller

When 700 people gathered at Lambeau Field in Green Bay in June for the Wisconsin Drives Manufacturing Summit, they set two goals: the state would lead the nation in manufacturing, and they would work together to get there.

Spearheaded by the UW–Madison College of Engineering, the summit was about bringing the state’s strengths, resources, and people into alignment so that all partners can tackle today’s challenges and respond nimbly to future opportunities.

“We’re renewing our vows today to the Wisconsin Idea,” said UW–Madison interim Chancellor Eric Wilcots.

Perennially ranked among the nation’s top three states for manufacturing, Wisconsin has nearly 9,000 manufacturing companies and some 470,000 manufacturing jobs. The summit featured eight standing-room-only breakout sessions, exploring topics ranging from AI to biohealth and defense.

“Communicate, collaborate, challenge,” said Craig Dickman, managing partner with TitletownTech. “You can see the desire, feel the energy. Now turn this into action in a deep and meaningful way.”

Published in the Fall 2026 issue