Innovation District & Boston's Cleantech Industry

46 GREEN ENERGY Greentech Boston

GREENTECH B

47APRIL/MAY 2011 The American Business Journal

ECH BOSTON 046

STATE FOCUS: MASSACHUSETTS


BOSTON IS CONSISTENTLY voted one of the clean-

est and greenest cities in the U.S. and America

is a global leader of the cleantech industry, so

it comes as little surprise that Boston is at the

forefront of green policy initiatives. This ‘hub of

innovation’, as the district is commonly referred to

in the press, is intended to combine the resources

available in the region and attract business from

the booming U.S. cleantech (or greentech) sector.

Galen Nelson is the Greentech Business

Manager with the Boston Redevelopment Au-

thority, an economic development agency pro-

moting business in different areas of the city.

As the go-to for all things clean, green, and

energy, he is able to provide us with some valu-

able information about the Innovation District.

“We are promoting a couple of behaviors that

are attractive to cleantech companies and one

of them is this idea of a living lab”. The idea

is that cleantech companies often need a test

market for prototypes of new innovations, and

the New England area provides a great test

environment, highly supportive to the cause

through its green policies.

“By focusing on policy that creates market

conditions that are favorable to clean energy

companies it gives us a leg up when it comes to

attracting and retaining companies that have a

cleantech focus.” These include such things as

at the city level, or the stringent green building

requirements for both public buildings and the

private sector. There are also requirements that

housing must be built with roofs that have the

ability to easily incorporate solar power and solar

thermal systems in the future.


Boston is clearly on to something, as the

cleantech industry has somehow resisted reces-

sion during a sharp downturn. “I’ve seen jobs

created and I’ve seen companies land here. So

I am very positive and very encouraged by what

we have seen over the last couple of years.”

Boston Mayor Thomas M. Menino has frequent-

ly spoken about the cleantech sector being the key

to drive the economy out of recession. Touted as

one of the greenest municipal leaders across the

U.S., many of Boston’s innovative policies are attrib-

uted to the mayor’s true belief in green policy. “We

also have leadership in the White House that is very

supportive of clean energy,” says Nelson, attribut-

ing the support from all levels of government to the

continual stability of cleantech.

The cleantech (or greentech) sector in Bos-

ton covers a wide range of green business. From

green energy and renewable energy system

component manufacturers, to climate change

adaptation consulting groups, to green product

designers and green building design and engi-

neering shops, the variety of business continues

to grow. There is also an array of cleantech ven-

Keep an eye out for a future issue of ABJ

where we highlight some of the major players in

the U.S. cleantech industry. AB

WWW.GREENTECHBOSTON.ORG

52

EXCLUSIVE AB

53

XCLUSIVE INTERVIEW

STATE FOCUS: MASSACHUSETTS

56 EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW Jim Hunt

ABJ: CAN YOU TELL US A LITTLE ABOUT YOUR DUTIES

AS CHIEF OF ENVIRONMENT?

JIM HUNT: My role is to serve as the mayor’s

lead advisor on all environmental issues, sustain-

ability issues, and issues facing the city. I have

direct oversight of several agencies facing the City

of Boston from parks planning to building permits.

ABJ: WHAT IS THE INNOVATION DISTRICT?

JH: The city under Mayor Menino’s leadership

and development on the South Boston water-

front area. This is an area that was previously all

brown and junkyards that was cleaned up when

the project was being developed in the 1990s.

In the last year basically a new vision for this

area, which continues to grow, is in creating and

rebranding an Innovation District—an area that

builds on Boston’s innovation and clean energy

leadership and many of the assets down the

south Boston waterfront. The vision of this Inno-

vation District is to build on Boston’s leadership

in the innovation economy.

ABJ: WHY IS BOSTON AN IDEAL PLACE FOR A

CLEANTECH COMPANY?

JH: We are locating entrepreneurs and start-

up companies with some existing leaders in their

and the entire biotech and cleantech sector.

We have a strong university presence, as well as

world. Boston is recognized as the hub for these

things. We want to catch those innovations that

are being developed at Harvard and MIT and the

University of Massachusetts and help support

those entrepreneurs and grow their companies

so that we can have a shared innovation. We

want to help those companies grow and stay

here in Boston to help economic development

and present opportunities for all Bostonians.

ABJ: WHAT INITIATIVES ARE IN PLACE TO BUILD

ON THIS?

JH: It is not just about companies investing in

this area, it is about the City of Boston support-

ing these companies, by supporting innovation

and by helping these companies grow and bring

their products to market. This innovation district

is not only home to these companies, but we

want these companies to test out their products

here. Whether it is new rooftop technology or

buildings, the vision is that this is an area for

shared innovation. Shared innovation for the pri-

vate sector, as well as this shared innovation with

the city and hopefully a shared innovation that will

touch all Bostonians by making our community

greener, healthier, and more prosperous as well.


ABJ: WHAT OTHER FACTORS CONTRIBUTE TO

BOSTON BEING RATED ONE OF THE GREENEST

CITIES IN AMERICA?

JH:

had a vision of creating a cleaner, healthier Bos-

ton. Being recognized as one of the greenest cit-

ies in the U.S. has to do with our policies. Boston

the U.S. LEED building councils standards into

our zoning. Now you see other cities following

suit. We just adopted a new stretch energy code.

In addition to our green building code, that keeps

Boston on the leading edge of clean develop-

ABJ: WHAT OTHER POLICIES CONTRIBUTE TO

BOSTON BEING GREEN?

JH: We are one of the inaugural solar cities

of America named in 2007 and since that time

we’ve seen the installed capacity of solar increase

over 500 percent in the last three years. We are

pushing this agenda even further because, being

recognized as one of the greenest cities, we all

know that we have to address broader issues such

as climate change.

ABJ: WHAT ARE THE GOALS FOR THE FUTURE

FOR BOSTON IN REGARD TO ITS SUSTAINABILITY

POLICIES?

JH: This year the city adopted a new goal in

regard to greenhouse gas emissions. We com-

mitted to a 25 percent reduction over the next

10 years by 2020. So for all of those reasons,

Boston continues to be recognized as one of the

greenest cities in the United States. So what is

important to us, there is obviously a moral com-

mitment to do our part and to address issues

such as climate change, protecting our city for

future generations. One of Boston’s hallmarks

is that we connect our cutting-edge energy poli-

cies to job creation and economic development.

We are helping Boston grow as a greener and

more prosperous place. Green the next frontier

of Boston‘s future. AB

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Innovation District & Boston's Cleantech Industry

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