LOS ANGELES — Mayor Eric Garcetti today announced that WeWork will house the new headquarters for the Clean Energy Smart Manufacturing Innovation Institute (CESMII), a $140 million partnership between the City of Los Angeles, the U.S. Department of Energy, UCLA, and private partners.
“Los Angeles is where we turn today’s ideas into tomorrow’s technology,” said Mayor Garcetti. “WeWork is helping to accelerate this incredible era of innovation — and this announcement reflects the power of public-private partnerships to grow our economy and create jobs. This is a smart investment in our future, and I look forward to seeing the breakthroughs that emerge from the new CESMII headquarters.”
Mayor Garcetti was joined by WeWork co-founder and CEO Adam Neumann, and Jim Wetzel, interim CEO of CESMII. WeWork is donating its Century City location to serve as the Institute’s headquarters, which was previously housed at UCLA. In 2016, Los Angeles was selected to lead the Institute, due to the City’s commitment to expanding clean energy, harnessing technology, and growing an already robust manufacturing workforce. The Institute’s goal is to enhance U.S. competitiveness by improving manufacturing processes through increased productivity and energy efficiency, enabled by smart manufacturing technology.
“Our partnership with the City of Los Angeles and UCLA have been key in having CESMII located here in Los Angeles,” said Jim Wetzel, CESMII’s interim CEO. “We are honored to continue the spirit of partnership with WeWork. Their commitment to support our national institute and the thousands of manufacturers we help transform is truly differential.”
“Los Angeles is a community of dreamers, and innovators,” said Adam Neumann, CEO, WeWork. “With a community of 11,000 members across more than 16 locations in L.A., WeWork is home to a rising generation of creators who are reimagining the future of work and driving the innovation economy. We are excited to partner with the Clean Energy Smart Manufacturing Innovation Institute, supporting Mayor Garcetti’s vision of a sustainable, prosperous economy in Los Angeles.”
Since taking office in 2013, Mayor Garcetti has executed on a three-part economic strategy to support key industries that will grow the jobs of the future, build up local infrastructure, and ensure that every Angeleno shares in the City’s prosperity.
Under Mayor Garcetti’s leadership, 160,000 new jobs have been created in Los Angeles. Support for legacy manufacturing industries and technology firms have resulted in L.A. being named one of the world’s top 10 leading startup ecosystems, as well as the #1 Digital City in America.
