Oregon inventionINDEX August 2026: 1.97% (B 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 Oregon inventionINDEX Scores

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

The Oregon inventionINDEX reached 1.97% in August 2026, earning a B rating and signaling a strong recovery from the sharp contraction observed earlier in the year. After tumbling to a low of 0.87% in May 2026, the index rebounded through July at 1.55% before climbing back near its historical 60-month baseline average of roughly 1.98%. This upward trajectory over the summer months reflects renewed momentum in innovation metrics following a volatile start to 2026, positioning current performance as a stable, mid-tier benchmark within the multi-year dataset.

When placed against historical extremes, the August 2026 mark demonstrates healthy normalization following significant past fluctuations. The index recorded its historical peak in October 2023 at an exceptional 7.06% with an A+ rating, alongside notable highs in August 2023 at 3.11% and January 2024 at 2.93%. Conversely, the dataset reveals period stress points, most notably the negative 0.55% rating in January 2023 and the low sub-1.00% readings in spring 2026. Relative to these historical anchors, the current score reflects solid baseline activity free from extreme volatility.

Achieving higher scores and top-tier grades like A or B+ carries substantial positive economic implications for the regional ecosystem. High index values signal accelerated patent filing activity, robust enterprise research output, and heightened entrepreneurial confidence. When the score trends upward, venture capital firms and corporate investors often interpret the expansion as a green light for capital deployment, which fosters technological advancement, attracts elite talent, and creates high-value jobs in innovation sectors.

Conversely, lower index scores and substandard ratings carry distinct risks for regional growth and development. Months marked by C grades or negative territory reflect underlying headwinds such as constrained research funding, regulatory hesitation, or broader macroeconomic cooling. Persistent low scores tend to suppress venture investment, slow intellectual property commercialization, and potentially shift innovative talent toward more dynamic markets, underscoring the necessity of sustaining structural support for local inventors.

Discussion:

In August, the Oregon 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 Oregon office provides R&D tax credit consulting and advisory services to Portland, Eugene, Salem, Gresham, Hillsboro, Beaverton, Bend, Medford, Springfield and Corvallis

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.

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