The Delaware Valley Innovation Network, backed by a $5.1 million federal grant, last week completed its three-year mission to expand the talent pool for life sciences companies in southeastern Pennsylvania, South Jersey and northern Delaware.

Network leaders said the money was used for myriad research projects, inventory assessments, cross-disciplinary partnerships, educational programs and other initiatives. DVIN estimates its programs touched more than 17,000 students and teachers along with almost 2,000 workers in the 14 counties and three states.

"We set some formidable goals," said Helen Groft, DVIN's project director. "I think we accomplished a diverse series of initiatives during the three years."

The Philadelphia-based DVIN was formed by a coalition of government, industry and educational institutions in the tri-state area to foster collaborations aimed at producing more workers for the region's hundred-plus life sciences companies.

Groft said that though its grant funding ended last month, the network's executive committee will continue to meet and explore new funding opportunities to keep the organization in business. The committee, she said, will focus on collaborative initiatives in all industries and advise, complement and support the training activities of existing organizations in the region

"If we leave a legacy," Groft said, "it's that regional collaborations among industry, academia, work force development organizations and economic development organizations have real value for this region."

In 2007, DVIN was one of 39 applicants — and the only three-state project — selected for funding under the U.S. Department of Labor's Workforce Innovation in Regional Development grant program.

DVIN provided a detailed accounting of how its $5.1 million grant was spent.

One of the network's first expenditures was $220,000 on a talent gap analysis to determined what types of workers were most in need by the region's biotech industry.

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