New London — CTNext on Tuesday announced that Thames Innovation Places, representing Groton and New London, was among four groups that will receive state grants for projects aimed at innovative ways to jump-start the region’s economy.

The decision by the CTNext Board of Directors concludes a process that launched last summer and culminated with last month’s public pitches and site visits with seven finalists, according to a news statement from CTNext, a subsidiary of Connecticut Innovations.

CTNext has yet to finalize grant awards to each of the Innovation Places. In all, the Innovation Places program is slated to award up to $6.9 million to designated communities in fiscal year 2018 to augment private and public investments in programs and infrastructure likely to attract talented people and increase knowledge-sharing that leads to innovation.

The Innovation Places to be awarded finding include: Hartford/East Hartford, led by Hartford/East Hartford Innovation Places Initiative; New Haven, led by Elm City Innovation Collaborative; and Stamford, led by Innovate Stamford.

“The Innovation Places program brought out the best in each community and provided a unique opportunity for the public and private sector to work across silos and think about how to collectively enhance their community’s economic vitality in an integrated and cohesive way,” Glendowlyn Thames, executive director of CTNext, said in a statement.

A synopsis of finalist and winning submissions can be found at bit.ly/InnovationPlaces1.