By Joseph A. Curtatone

(The opinions and views expressed in the commentaries and letters to the Editor of The Somerville Times belong solely to the authors and do not reflect the views or opinions of The Somerville Times, its staff or publishers)

Last week at the grand opening of the Global Center for Cleantech Innovation at Greentown Labs, Governor Charlie Baker said, “This is ground zero right now for all the big thinking that’s going on in clean energy and climate solutions, right here in Somerville. And you all sit here like, ‘Well, yeah, sure.’ But this is really special.” And he’s right. Having the largest cleantech incubator in the country (and one that’s home to 85 member companies from six different countries) sitting right on Somerville Avenue is really special.

The governor is right about something else too. It’s not surprising that companies like Greentown, and the smaller companies they serve, are choosing Somerville. Through an intensive multi-year process we planned for this. We envisioned it. Then we got to work to make it happen.

You, our residents, made it clear that job creation was a priority, and it would become a critical goal of our SomerVision plan. Greentown has certainly helped us get closer to achieving that goal. Since its inception, it has been home to more than 120 startups creating more than 900 jobs, and the expansion provides office space for more than 450 additional entrepreneurs.

It’s not just about the jobs being created in the Greentown space itself however. Companies are coming to Greentown – and to Somerville – to learn, grow, graduate, and expand. And doing so creates even more new jobs in Somerville and around the region. Just last year we celebrated former Greentown tenant RightHand Robotics’ move to the old Post Office building in Union Square.

The success of innovative companies like Greentown Labs and their tenants gives us an authentic opportunity to attract other like-minded businesses and then forge partnerships with them. These are businesses that will come here and not merely be an employer, but also be an integral part of our community and contribute to the wellbeing of our city and help us progress toward our community goals.

The Greentown story says to the world that Somerville is a place that will help you grow. It says Somerville is a place with an educated and willing workforce; a place dedicated to further developing that workforce to give people an opportunity to be a part of the next generation industries. It says Somerville is a place where you can be part of an engaged, vibrant community. And it ultimately says Somerville is a place where you can be part of something really special.

Creating the innovation city, a place where companies like Greentown are welcome and where they want to be – didn’t happen overnight. It took meticulous planning. We didn’t want to simply create an innovation district, an area in the city that was seen as being exclusive for these large-scale innovation companies and the people who worked for them, which shut down at the end of the work day. In true Somerville fashion, we knew we wanted our model and approach to be much more inclusive – not limited to a specific area of the city and something in which everyone can participate and play a role.

Just as SomerVision set the table, our ongoing neighborhood planning efforts and infrastructure work, much like that happening now in Union Square, ensures that the innovation city remains open for business and ready to work with the new wave of innovation companies whether they be in the tech, cleantech, or life sciences industries.

We can’t operate in a silo, and we won’t achieve our community goals alone. If we want to make sure Somerville continues to be a great place to live, work, play, and raise a family, we’re going to have to empower the innovators and creators, like those at Greentown Labs, who are working to change the way we do those things so that we can continue to thrive for many years to come…in Somerville and beyond.