The nonprofit Center for Economic Options is teaming up with college students across the state to push West Virginia as a hub for environmentally sustainable businesses.

Center Director Pam Curry says the idea is to develop a network of eco-conscious companies and provide resources, training and other forms of support to them.

The cooperative involves teams of students from Marshall University, Glenville State College, Fairmont State University, the University of Charleston, West Virginia University, WVU Institute of Technology, Concord University and Mountain State University.

Those teams will focus on specific industry sectors, marketing trends, economic research and strategies for retooling the state's existing manufacturing infrastructure to support emerging green technologies.