Kansas inventionINDEX August 2026: 2.11% (A- grade)

The inventionINDEX measures innovation output by comparing GDP growth with patent production growth.

Anything over C grade is positive sentiment; anything under C is negative outlook/sentiment. Using that sentiment, it is possible to observe trends over time, and also compare states/countries. In doing so, we can predict which states have the best chance to recover economically from the pandemic (or any other economic incident that may occur).

Historical Kansas inventionINDEX Scores

The Kansas inventionINDEX score for the past 12 months is shown in the table below.

The Kansas inventionINDEX recorded an impressive score of 2.11% with an A- rating in August 2026, marking a swift recovery from July 2026’s 1.92% (B+) and reinforcing a strong summer performance. This recent surge is anchored by June 2026, which reached an outstanding peak of 2.58% (A+), the highest single score across the entire 60-month dataset. When contrasted with the early months of 2026, where scores fluctuated between 1.23% (C+ in March) and 1.42% (B- in January), the state’s late-summer metrics demonstrate solid momentum in patent output relative to economic baseline growth.

Evaluating this recent upward trajectory against the broader 60-month history reveals a clear cyclical pattern in regional innovation output. Prior to the mid-2026 surge, Kansas experienced strong historical high points in October 2023 (2.32%, A) and January 2023 (2.24%, A), followed by a prolonged period of mid-range stabilization throughout 2024 and 2025, where scores mostly hovered between 1.26% and 1.98%. Crucially, the latest figures remain well above historical baseline troughs, such as December 2021 (1.05%, C), March 2023 (1.08%, C), and September 2024 (1.13%, C), indicating that the state has successfully avoided extended periods of innovation stagnation.

Consistently achieving higher grades, particularly the A and A+ ratings seen in mid-2026 and late 2023, delivers significant economic and structural benefits to the state. High inventionINDEX scores indicate that research and development efforts are translating into commercialized intellectual property faster than baseline economic growth. A top-tier rating signals a vibrant technological ecosystem, attracting increased venture capital funding, fostering public-private research partnerships, and accelerating job creation across high-tech, bioscience, and manufacturing sectors. Furthermore, high performance strengthens the state’s reputation as a competitive regional hub for innovation, encouraging top scientific talent and corporate enterprise investments to remain local.

Conversely, periods marked by lower scores and C-level ratings reflect distinct challenges for the regional economy. When the index dips near or below 1.10%, as seen in historical troughs, it indicates that patent growth is failing to keep pace with economic expansion. Such declines can stem from delays in regulatory approval, temporary contractions in private R&D spending, or disruptions in university research pipelines. Extended periods of suppressed scores risk eroding regional competitiveness, potentially leading to venture capital diversion toward higher-performing neighboring states, an outbound migration of skilled technical workers, and a reduced capacity for long-term commercial technology expansion.

Discussion:

In August, the Kansas inventionINDEX scored a positive sentiment which was higher than the previous year’s average and outperformed the upward trend for the year. This is in contrast to the prior 12 months, which experienced a slight downward trend.

As the economy continues to stabilize in the post-pandemic era, it remains uncertain whether any backlog of applications still exists or if the department has returned to normal processing timelines. The inventionINDEX could also be affected by lingering consequences from the pandemic, such as company closures, reduced workforces, and limited R&D capabilities, which may still be impacting current operations.

Learn More:
Are you thinking of patenting any of your bright ideas? Did you know your research work could be eligible for the R&D Tax Credit and you can receive up to 14% back on your expenses? To find out more, please check out our free online eligibility test.

Swanson Reed’s Kansas office provides R&D tax credit consulting and advisory services to Wichita, Overland Park, Kansas City, Olathe, Topeka, Lawrence, Shawnee, Manhattan, Lenexa and Salina

Feel free to book a quick teleconference with one of R&D tax specialists if you would like to learn more about R&D tax credit opportunities.

Who We Are:

Swanson Reed is the largest Specialist R&D tax credit advisory firm in the United States. With offices nationwide, we are one of the only firms globally to exclusively provide R&D tax credit consulting services to our clients. We have been exclusively providing R&D tax credit claim preparation and audit compliance solutions for over 30 years.

Swanson Reed hosts daily free webinars and provides free IRS CE and CPE credits for CPAs. For more information please visit us at www.swansonreed.com/free-webinars or contact your usual Swanson Reed representative.