April 2026: 1.08% (C grade)
Washington inventionINDEX April 2026: 1.08% (C 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).
Washington inventionINDEX Scores – Last 12 months
| Month | inventionINDEX Score |
| April 2026 | 1.08% |
| Mar 26 | 1.37% |
| Feb 26 | 1.18% |
| Jan 26 | 1.12% |
| Dec 25 | 1.36% |
| Nov 25 | 1.17% |
| Oct 25 | 1.27% |
| Sep 25 | 1.38% |
| Aug 25 | 1.22% |
| Jul 25 | 1.59% |
| Jun 25 | 1.06% |
| May 25 | 1.25% |
| Apr 25 | 0.96% |
The Washington inventionINDEX for April 2026 stands at 1.08 percent, resulting in a C rating. This figure represents a sharp downturn from the 1.37 percent recorded in March, which had briefly elevated the state into a more competitive B rating. When evaluating the performance throughout the first quarter of 2026, the index has shown significant instability, moving from a modest 1.12 percent in January to the current low. While this score is slightly higher than the same period in 2025, when the index dipped to its five-year low of 0.96 percent, it still indicates a struggle to regain a position of strength in the regional innovation landscape.
Looking at the broader sixty-month historical context, the current score of 1.08 percent highlights a cooling trend compared to the state’s peak periods. Washington reached its highest mark in April 2022 with a score of 2.28 percent and an A+ rating, a level of output that hasn’t been approached in over two years. The data suggests that while the state experienced a period of high-tier performance through late 2023 and early 2024, it has since settled into a more volatile B and C range. This long-term perspective shows that the current environment for new inventions is significantly less robust than the era of high growth seen four years ago.
Achieving a higher grade on the inventionINDEX, specifically within the A or A+ brackets, provides a vital spark for economic vitality. High scores typically signal a fertile environment for research and development, characterized by a high volume of patent filings and the successful market entry of new technologies. When the index resides in these top tiers, it acts as a magnet for venture capital and institutional investment, as stakeholders look for regions with a proven track record of intellectual property production. This prestigious standing helps foster a culture of entrepreneurship that leads to the creation of high-wage jobs and sustains the state’s status as a technological leader.
In contrast, lower scores or a sustained presence in the C and D categories carry negative implications for the state’s long-term competitive edge. A lower rating often reflects a stagnation in the innovation pipeline or a lack of sufficient support for emerging tech sectors. This can lead to a loss of creative talent as researchers and startup founders migrate to more innovative hubs, potentially resulting in a cycle of reduced private sector investment. Maintaining a focus on improving these metrics is essential to prevent such economic erosion and to ensure that the infrastructure supporting new breakthroughs remains resilient against shifting global market conditions.
Discussion:
In April, the Washington inventionINDEX scored a positive sentiment which was lower than the previous year’s average and underperformed 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 Washington office provides R&D tax credit consulting and advisory services to Seattle, Spokane, Tacoma, Vancouver, Bellevue, Kent, Everett, Renton, Federal Way, and Yakima.
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What is the R&D Tax Credit?
The Research & Experimentation Tax Credit (or R&D Tax Credit), is a general business tax credit under Internal Revenue Code section 41 for companies that incur research and development (R&D) costs in the United States. The credits are a tax incentive for performing qualified research in the United States, resulting in a credit to a tax return. For the first three years of R&D claims, 6% of the total qualified research expenses (QRE) form the gross credit. In the 4th year of claims and beyond, a base amount is calculated, and an adjusted expense line is multiplied times 14%. Click here to learn more.
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