Urban Design
Clean Tech Jobs
To augment the number of clean tech companies and jobs, and ultimately create 25,000 Clean Tech jobs by 2022 in San Jose
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San Jose’s Green Vision, adopted in October 2007, lays out ten goals for improving the environmental health of the City and creating an economic stimulus through new environmental measures. The Clean Tech Strategy is the first goal outlined in the Green Vision, with the overall mission being job creation through clean technology. More specifically, in order to reach its goal of 25,000 new jobs by 2022, San Jose’s Clean Tech Strategy is outlined by the following elements:
• Providing incentives to attract manufacturing jobs to San Jose; additionally encouraging both established Clean Tech companies and start-up firms to stay and grow in San Jose
• Incubating upcoming technologies with the aid of local universities and the Environmental Business Cluster – which alone has helped more Clean Tech start-up companies commercialize their products than any other incubator in the nation
• Implementing the Demonstration Policy, which provides opportunities for innovative products through the Clean Tech Open, hosted annually by San Jose
• Ensuring local residents have the training opportunities to succeed in clean tech companies, by means of the work2future program to connect residents with potential employers of clean tech companies; additionally the Workforce Investment Board is targeted to create green jobs for low-moderate income residents.
The Clean Tech Strategy primarily focuses on three categories of green jobs: renewable energy, green building, and clean transportation.
In addition to numerous media interviews, and presentations throughout the community and around the nation, targeted outreach has been conducted with industry associations, companies, entrepreneurs, investors, and potential employees.
The City also hosts the Clean Tech Open – an annual innovation competition among entrepreneurs, to connect competition winners with free space in San José’s incubator program. The Clean Tech Open has assisted in the start-up of 125 green tech businesses and in turn creating over 500 jobs.
With an ultimate goal of 25,000 jobs, the City currently has helped companies create more the 3,000 clean tech jobs in San Jose; meanwhile, $25 billion is the goal for venture capital investments, with $2.8 billion presently invested.
Companies are rapidly locating and expanding in San Jose: serving as a pristine example, Nanosolar was recently named one of Time magazine’s “Innovations of the Year” and raised more than $350 million alone in venture capital in 2008. San Jose attracted the company in 2007 when it had a few dozen employees and was seeking to expand. Through innovative incentives, including equipment reimbursement agreements, the company relocated to San Jose and has grown rapidly ever since.
Further leading clean tech companies located in San Jose include Phillips Lumileds, Echelon, SunPower, Stion, Solopower, Sopogy, BioFuelBox, Borgata Recycling, Solexant, SunWize, Sympagis and Fat Spaniel.
San Jose’s the Environmental Business Cluster – a non-profit clean energy and environmental technology commercialization center – was recognized in 2008 as Randall M. Whaley Incubator of the Year.
San Jose has enjoyed broad support for its Clean Tech Strategy and broader Green Vision from environmentalists, industry groups, venture capital investors, real estate brokers and developers, neighborhood groups and workforce programs.
The implementation of the Clean Tech Strategy has been overseen by City staff and funded by the San Jose Redevelopment Agency Clean Tech Jobs funds. Additionally, clean tech training programs are funded by the Workforce & Employment Training Panel Funds and the Community Development Block Grants.
San Jose’s Green Vision, Goal #1, adopted October 2007.
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