Industry leaders met last night at the University of Wisconsin Research Park to discuss ways to bring Wisconsin out of economic recession.

As legislators review the state budget, which faces searing cuts over the next two years, a revived economy is becoming a larger necessity in preventing further deficits in the state budget.

The discussion emphasized the budget deficit and recessed economy as reciprocal factors in the state’s dismal fiscal situation.

“We’ve got to bring the deficit under control,” said Gov. Jim Doyle’s budget director, David Riemer. “We’re on the way to balancing the budget.”

Riemer said Doyle signed an emergency budget bill yesterday afternoon that will bring the state 5 percent closer to eliminating state debt.

Speakers stressed the importance of higher education in any recovering economy. Universities are seen as a key area of technological research and producers of a qualified workforce.

“The governor’s highest priority is education,” Riemer said. Education was the only part of the budget that received an increase in spending. “Unless young people are properly trained and ready to move into vacancies from baby-boomers, we aren’t going to maintain a stable economy, much less a high-tech one.”

Speakers at the conference said technology produced by the UW System is one of the state’s greatest assets.

“We have a first-rate education system,” said David Walsh, a Doyle advisor and member of the UW Board of Regents. “We have the highest quality professors (at UW) unfortunately we can’t retain them.”

The UW System is facing $250 million in cuts under Doyle’s budget, which is currently under review of the Legislature. Walsh said dealing with the impending cuts will be difficult, but he does not believe student enrollment will be cut.

Secretary of Commerce Cory Nettles said getting Wisconsin out of recession would necessitate a proactive approach to attracting business.

“We can’t just hope,” Nettles said. “We have to be more aggressive in selling Wisconsin (to businesses). It hurts to be beat (by other states) by marketing strategies, not by quality.”

This is something the governor plans to address by creating a board to seriously look at Wisconsin’s economic problems.

Walsh said such a board is needed to spearhead the economic recovery effort.

“Someone needs to execute plans for economic development,” Walsh said.

The board, headed by the governor, would also have to measure the effectiveness of any program.

“We need to be able to measure what we want to impact,” Walsh said. He also said goals of the effort should be an increase in quality of life and numbers of high-paying jobs.

Paul Umbeck, who has worked in the high-tech industry for 25 years, said government and businesses need to work together to overcome economic woes.

“The fact they’re thinking about it is good,” Umbeck said. “They are right on target; they need to connect.”

While Umbeck agrees the deficit should be the biggest priority, he stressed that the state should also concentrate on keeping businesses here.

“Often Wisconsin technology businesses are bought by out-of-state companies,” Umbeck said. “The companies can then be moved out of state completely or severely downsized, causing a loss of in-state jobs.”

Umbeck also said the state must prevent technological brain-drain from luring technological industries out of the state.

“I think it’s a real crime when another company comes in and buys technology (developed in Wisconsin) and moves it out of the state. It’s a huge loss for everybody,” Umbeck said.

Another component for a stronger economy is an investment in infrastructure, such as transportation, education and reliable electricity.

“If we can solve the budget, we can prove to businesses we are a good environment to operate in,” Walsh said.