inventionINDEX | is a specialized resource designed to track, analyze, and highlight innovation trends, patent activity, and R&D (Research and Development) efforts across sectors and geographic regions. As part of our broader suite of services focused on R&D tax incentives, the inventionINDEX serves as a centralized platform to:
- Showcase Innovation:
- Presents state-specific innovation highlights, spotlighting breakthrough inventions and patented technologies developed.
- Provides insights into emerging trends, sectors, and innovators driving regional economic growth.
- Promote Awareness:
- Acts as a public-facing tool to celebrate inventors and companies contributing to technological progress.
- Encourages organizations to leverage R&D tax credits by illustrating real-world examples of innovation-based success stories.
- State-Specific Insights:
- Organizes data by state, allowing users to explore localized innovation ecosystems, industry clusters, and regulatory environments relevant to R&D.
What are Patent Grants?
In a September 2025 report by the Swanson Reed Patent Grants Thinktank, the authors propose reforming the US patent system, citing examination backlogs, low-quality grants, and litigation by Non-Practicing Entities that increase costs and hinder innovation. They recommend a Collaborative Examination Pathway (CEP), an optional, front-loaded USPTO track fostering early collaboration between applicant and examiner using AI tools and a secure digital platform to improve patent quality, shorten wait times, and strengthen legal certainty. The report also calls for a federal grant of up to $50,000 per international patent family to help small businesses cover patenting costs and suggests using Swanson Reed’s inventionINDEX — which links patent output to GDP growth — as a simple metric to assess innovation and measure program outcomes. Learn more
Use the interactive map below to access over 5 years of data and analysis for all regions, representing over 1500 individual analyses:
