'So exciting for us,' Somerville's Greentown Labs hopes to inspire Prince William, Princess Kate
SOMERVILLE - The focus of the Prince and Princess of Wales visit to Massachusetts this week is climate change. That's why they'll be stopping by Greentown Labs in Somerville during their three-day trip.
"Their visit is so exciting for us," Julia Travaglini, senior vice president of marketing and communications, told WBZ-TV Tuesday.
Greentown Labs is home to more than 200 climate tech startups working on solutions for some of the biggest climate challenges. Prince William and Princess Catherine will meet with a handful of them on Thursday.
"They're meeting with five of our startups that are working to deploy technologies that align with the sectors they're focused on. So, think about cleaning the air, reviving the oceans, fixing the climate," said Travaglini.
This is the royal couple's first overseas trip since inheriting their new titles. Friday is the big event - the Earthshot Prize awards - given to top environmental innovators. Prince William was inspired by JFK's "Moonshot" speech to create a decade of action and collaboration to combat climate change.
The Prince and Princess of Wales will arrive in Boston Wednesday and they will kick off their trip with a ceremony at Boston City Hall.
On Thursday, they will visit ROCA Inc., a nonprofit that helps the homeless in Chelsea, after their visit at Greentown Labs.
"We hope the Prince and Princess leave inspired and encouraged and enthusiastic about the work being done here in the Boston region and that they see Boston and the Northeast as a hub of climate action and climate innovation," said Travaglini.
Greentown Labs says they have received a huge influx of phone calls from eager citizens hoping to catch a glimpse of the couple.
They expect the sidewalks outside their building to be crowded with curious onlookers, but they are reminding everyone it's a private event and there will be a lot of security.