Illustration by Scott Gordon and Kristian Knutsen

Series: Foxconn In Wisconsin

Wisconsin's deal with electronics manufacturing giant Foxconn has stirred up a mix of excitement and doubt. The state offered the Taiwan-based company about $3 billion in economic incentives and a waiver on a variety of environmental and other regulations to build a large LCD fabrication complex. In return, Foxconn touted the possibility of creating thousands of jobs and invigorating Wisconsin as a Midwestern tech hub. This type of manufacturing would place considerable demands on the state's natural resources, especially water, and can create significant pollution. The net effect of this deal will take years to emerge, but boosters and skeptics alike agree that a Foxconn footprint would have profound and complex implications for Wisconsin's future.
 
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Foxconn officials say they have invested "hundreds of millions" of dollars in the development of the Wisconn Valley Science and Technology Park in Racine County and have met Wisconsin's pay-for-performance criteria in 2019.
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PBS Wisconsin
Correspondence between Foxconn and the state of Wisconsin show growing conflict over the company's contract and status of public tax subsidies. Wisconsin Department of Administration Secretary Joel Brennan discusses the current status of the state's position on the agreement.
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According to a study by the Mercatus Center at George Mason University, the state's subsidies for Foxconn could depress economic activity in Wisconsin by tens of billions of dollars over the next 15 years. Economist Michael Farren discusses the study's findings.
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Missy Hughes is the new secretary and CEO of the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation, and discusses the future of projects of Foxconn and other agency priorities, including manufacturing and workforce development.
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The Foxconn project has taken a toll on residents of Mount Pleasant who have sold their properties to accommodate the development of new roads. WPR reporter Corrinne Hess discusses divisions between homeowners and the local government over these land acquisitions.
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An economic study examining the Foxconn tax credits details how the state could still face high costs even if it renegotiates the contract. Tim Bartik, a senior economist at the W.E. Upjohn Institute for Employment Research discusses these findings.
Most Americans are likely not very aware of the the United States' complex economic dependency on Taiwan. But when it comes to Wisconsin, the story quickly gets even more complicated.
Gov. Tony Evers announced he is seeking to renegotiate Wisconsin's contract with Foxconn, drawing ire from state Republicans. Bejing-based economics commentator Einar Tangen speaks to these developments.
A bubbling sense of uncertainty enveloping Foxconn's plans for its manufacturing and research operations in Wisconsin has sparked considerable speculation around the state in the opening months of 2019.
With the news that Foxconn will be changing its initial manufacturing plans in Wisconsin, economist Einar Tangen and tech industry insider Paul Semenza weigh in on what the future holds for the LCD manufacturer in the state.