A group including Georgia Tech is pursuing up to $500 million for a new regional hub focused on clean energy manufacturing, an industry bringing thousands of jobs to the state. The plan is to apply for the Regional Technology and Innovation Hubs program, federal funding to build tech hubs in key U.S. regions. The process could open this summer and is expected to be highly competitive. The idea is to create additional areas of tech expertise in the country, similar to Silicon Valley or Seattle, said Julia Kubanek, vice president of Interdisciplinary Research, and a professor in the School of Biological Sciences and the School of Chemistry and Biochemistry. It could bring more economic development and secure a more reliable domestic supply chain, Kubanek added.