BRITE Energy Innovators in Warren and the Youngstown Business Incubator are part of an initiative awarded a $500,000 planning grant to create an economic hub for green-product manufacturing and a regional supply chain in Upper a.

The one-year project aims to prepare the region spanning northeast Ohio, western Pennsylvania and West Virginia to meet the demand for residential and commercial products, materials and services needed to build and maintain energy-efficient buildings and infrastructure.

Other partners in the Green Building Alliance include West Virginia University, including WVU Extension and Vantage Ventures, and Pittsburgh-based Catalyst Connection.

The planning project will assess and map the regional product and supply chain ecosystem, complete a market study analysis and create a network with resources and strategies to advance the work to a full implementation phase.

The project is funded by the Appalachian Regional Commission with other funding from the Claude Worthington Benedum Foundation, a regional philanthropy serving West Virginia and southwest Pennsylvania.