It will take significant creativity and innovation to move the cities and countries of the world toward a more sustainable environment, just as it did to move the world from the industrial age into the age of silicon and high tech. More so than any region of the world, San José and Silicon Valley are defined by the ability and willingness to innovate and change. From the defense technologies of World War II, the semiconductors and computers of the information age, or the evolution of the Internet and the virtual world, our local innovations have changed the world.

In this tradition, San José, the Capital of Silicon Valley, will inspire the next wave of innovation: the Clean Technologies that will help the world face the growing climate crisis and meet unprecedented global energy needs. These technological innovations will harness the power of renewable energy sources, manage natural resources more efficiently, and reduce the environmental impacts of human activity.

As the world’s most competitive knowledge economy and home to more than 1,500 of the world’s largest technology firms, San José is positioned to become a world center of Clean Tech innovation. Numerous Clean Tech companies are already benefiting from the region’s unrivalled access to venture funding, highly skilled workers and entrepreneurs, world-class research institutions, supportive government policies, and cutting-edge technology incubators like San José’s Environmental Business Cluster and the San José BioCenter.

San José companies are inventing, demonstrating, and producing the innovations that will serve communities, businesses, and residents around the world. As a result, local residents are already seizing the emerging economic opportunities to find well-paying jobs that are unlikely to be outsourced.

As San José emerges as a world center of Clean Tech innovation, entrepreneurs, companies, and universities will develop technologies that will change the world and create economic opportunities for generations to come. To provide leadership for the long-term economic success of this emerging industry sector, the City of San José developed its Clean Tech Strategy, which will be an integral component to achieving our Green Vision. The Strategy will ensure that this next wave of innovation occurs in San José and calls for unprecedented public-private partnerships to showcase Clean Tech products to the world, including:

• Providing incentives and services at every stage of growth to encourage both established Clean Tech companies and start-up firms to stay and grow in San José;
• Incubating next generation technologies through partnerships with local universities and the Environmental Business Cluster;
• Attracting innovative firms and talent from around the world;
• Providing demonstration opportunities for innovative Clean Tech products;
• Creating opportunities for local residents to receive training for employment in Clean Tech industries;
• Advocating for legislative changes that will support the Clean Tech industry’s growth.

Through these efforts, we will ensure that local companies are able to develop and innovate. We will create more than 25,000 Clean Tech jobs, helping solve the world’s environmental challenges, creating a sustainable future, and building San José’s economy.