Veolia Joins Greentown Labs as a Terawatt Sponsor to Facilitate Cleantech Innovation
Partnership connects Boston entrepreneurs in energy and
sustainability with global energy and environmental company
Veolia
North America (Veolia), the company providing
district energy to the Boston area, today announced that it has
become a Terawatt Sponsor of Somerville’s Greentown
Labs, the nation’s largest cleantech incubator. Working with Veolia
will enable entrepreneurs at Greentown Labs to access the experience,
advice and network of professionals at the world’s largest environmental
services and technology company to help them solve some of the world’s
biggest energy and environmental challenges.
Greentown Labs helps cleantech and energy-focused startups with the
resources they need to move from prototyping products and services to
pilot testing and first customers. Based three-and-a-half miles from
downtown Boston, Greentown Labs offers 33,000 square feet of prototyping
lab as well as a machine shop and 3D printer. With more than 40 member
companies on-site and a global community of cleantech and energy
entrepreneurs, Greentown Labs provides the education, mentorship and
guidance to help entrepreneurs rapidly grow their networks and companies.
“There is a lot of excitement right now with hardware incubators and
accelerators,” said Laurent Auguste, Veolia’s Senior EVP Innovation &
Markets, who developed the partnership and leads Veolia’s global
innovation and R&D efforts. “As these entrepreneurs know, new tools are
making it possible to make dramatic and exciting innovations in the
energy space. We are excited to match our expertise with their fresh
perspectives to better resource the world with smart energy services and
technologies.”
Veolia manages a network of district energy steam pipes that deliver
environmentally-friendly energy – or “Green Steam,” to the downtown
Boston/Cambridge area. This innovative environmental solution utilizes
advanced cogeneration technology to recapture and reuse thermal energy
previously lost to the environment, reducing the Boston area’s
greenhouse gas emissions by 475,000 tons annually (the equivalent of
removing 80,000 cars from the roads) and reducing non-transportation
carbon emissions for both cities by six percent.
“As an environmental service company that provides district energy to
approximately 250 customers in the central
business district of Boston and the Longwood Medical Area as well as
the biotechnology corridor of Cambridge, we know what it’s like to
manage the challenges of meeting a large population’s energy needs every
day,” said William J. DiCroce, president and COO of Veolia North
America’s Municipal & Commercial Business. “We also know the importance
of innovation and fresh ideas in the environmental sector, which is why
we’re looking forward to partnering with the innovative startups at
Greentown Labs.”
Veolia has committed to the Terawatt Sponsor level and will embed an
environmental professional at Greentown Labs to support potential
opportunities to train, partner, technically and possibly financially
support member entrepreneurs and their ideas. Yann Moreau, Veolia
Research & Innovation Director, North America, will sit on the Greentown
Labs advisory board.
“Corporations like Veolia are very important partners for Greentown
Labs, not only because of the financial support they offer, but also
through the resources, knowledge, expertise and investments in member
companies they bring to the table. They provide the nourishment that
helps our companies grow,” said Emily Reichert, CEO of Greentown Labs.
“Veolia brings a very unique skillset to the entrepreneurs at Greentown
Labs with their work running district energy systems and reducing carbon
emissions for the Boston area. Veolia’s local expertise with the area’s
municipal and commercial customers gives our cleantech entrepreneurs
access to a wealth of energy experience.”
Greentown Labs Founded in 2011, Greentown Labs is a community of
bold, passionate entrepreneurs creating game-changing energy
technologies that transform the way we live, work, and play. Located in
Somerville, MA, Greentown Labs is the largest cleantech incubator in the
nation, operating a 33,000 sq. ft. facility that enables the
entrepreneurs of 40 companies to solve today’s biggest energy and
environmental problems. Greentown Labs hosts a constant stream of events
and programs for the cleantech community and tours more than 5,000
visitors from around the world each year. Its mission is to enable a
vibrant community of entrepreneurs to realize their visions by providing
access to the space, resources, and funding needed to thrive. For more
information, visit www.greentownlabs.com,
or find us on Twitter,
Facebook
or LinkedIn.
Veolia group is the global leader in optimized resource
management. With over 179,000 employees* worldwide, the Group designs
and provides water, waste and energy management solutions that
contribute to the sustainable development of communities and industries.
Through its three complementary business activities, Veolia helps to
develop access to resources, preserve available resources, and to
replenish them. In 2014, the Veolia group supplied 96 million people
with drinking water and 60 million people with wastewater service,
produced 52 million megawatt hours of energy and converted 31 million
metric tons of waste into new materials and energy. Veolia Environnement
(listed on Paris Euronext: VIE) recorded consolidated revenue of $29.6
billion* in 2014. www.veolia.com
(*) 2014 pro-forma figures, including Dalkia International (100%) and
excluding Dalkia France.
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