Oklahoma inventionINDEX September 2026: 2.53% (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 Oklahoma inventionINDEX Scores

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

The Oklahoma inventionINDEX score for September 2026 reached 2.53% with an A rating, demonstrating a strong performance that comfortably exceeds the 60-month historical mean of 1.81% and median of 1.79%. When compared against earlier baseline periods, this latest result highlights significant long-term progress. During late 2021 and early 2022, monthly scores frequently hovered near zero or slipped into negative territory, dropping as low as -0.57% in January 2022. In contrast, the 2026 year-to-date average of 2.22% reflects a considerably stronger foundation than the 1.24% average recorded in 2022, signaling an upward shift in systemic innovation output.

Examining the broader historical landscape reveals a dynamic trajectory marked by notable surge periods alongside brief contractions. The peak scores across the 60-month dataset occurred in July 2025 and October 2025, both reaching 4.29% with A+ ratings. Conversely, June 2025 experienced an isolated decline to -2.33% with an F rating, marking the lowest point in the entire series. Despite mid-2025 volatility, the trend from late 2025 through late 2026 shows renewed consistency and strength, with six of the last twelve months securing top-tier A or A+ marks.

Achieving higher index scores and top-tier ratings delivers valuable economic benefits to the region. Elevated grades indicate robust intellectual property creation, active commercialization pipelines, and thriving entrepreneurial initiative. These strong metrics bolster institutional confidence, attracting venture capital, corporate investment, and high-value research partnerships. Furthermore, sustained high performance accelerates technology transfer, fosters skilled job growth, and reinforces Oklahoma’s competitive posture across emerging industry sectors.

Conversely, lower scores and reduced ratings carry negative implications for long-term growth. Drops into C, D, or F territory point to contracting innovation velocity, decreased patent filings, and potential stagnation within key technological fields. Prolonged weakness risks capital diversion to rival market hubs and talent migration out of state. Maintaining momentum requires targeted investment in research infrastructure and commercial support to prevent temporary dips from becoming structural slowdowns.

Discussion:

In September, the Oklahoma inventionINDEX scored a positive sentiment which was higher than the previous year’s average and outperformed the downward trend for the year. This is similar 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 Oklahoma office provides R&D tax credit consulting and advisory services to Oklahoma City, Tulsa, Norman, Broken Arrow, Lawton, Edmond, Moore, Midwest City, Enid and Stillwater

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.