Foxconn Official: No Word On Second Site Until 2018

A Foxconn Medical Group official says no decision will be made on whether the electronics giant will open a secondary facility in Wisconsin until next year.

Charlie Alvarez is a senior adviser to the president of Foxconn Medical Group. He told the Wisconsin State Journal in a story published Wednesday that the Madison and Milwaukee areas are leading contenders for a medical-related facility, should Foxconn decide to open one.

That location would be in addition to the massive display screen factory planned for Mount Pleasant in Racine County. In August, Madison Mayor Paul Soglin said he learned of the Taiwanese tech giant’s interest in a possible Madison location when contacted by the Madison Region Economic Partnership.

Alvarez said no decision will be made on the medical facility until all the papers are signed on the main factory, which is expected to employ thousands.

Alvarez was in Madison on Tuesday to discuss Foxconn’s medical group work at the Wisconsin Biohealth Summit. There he touted the company’s products and possible partnerships with the University of Wisconsin Carbone Cancer Center.

Alvarez said they hope to work with the medical organizations around the state who could use the company’s devices.

“Foxconn is trying to partner with health systems, including the Carbone Center here in Madison, for research and development to help us better diagnose cancer patients,” he said.

The company also makes extremely high resolution display technology, creating high quality images that improve cameras used in colonoscopies and surgeries.

Editor’s Note: This story was last updated at 1:22 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 11, 2017, with original reporting from WPR.