Swanson Reed Internal Patent Policy Think Tank Group
Researching Innovation Elasticity & Global Patent Strategy
- Mission: To analyze the correlation between GDP growth and patent production (“Innovation Elasticity”).
- Researchers: Adam Rogers (Principal, Swanson Reed), Damian Smyth (CEO, Swanson Reed), Cherie Jones (Principal, Swanson Reed)
- Key Metrics: Developers of the inventionINDEX and the “Traffic Light” Early Warning System for regional stagnation.
- Policy Focus: Advocating for “Patent Box” tax regimes and non-dilutive patent grants to bridge the “Valley of Death.”
Led by Principal Adam Rogers, the Patent Policy Think Tank is an internal coporate group that operates at the intersection of mechanical engineering, macroeconomics, and tax law. Our primary objective is to develop new ideas to help diagnose the health of national innovation engines by measuring “Innovation Elasticity”—the responsiveness of patent yields to economic inputs. Through our proprietary inventionINDEX, we identify jurisdictions entering “consolidation phases” and advocate for structural policy interventions, such as Patent Box regimes and direct grant funding, to reverse stagnation and stimulate private-sector R&D. Swanson Reed is lobbying congress for for patent grant subsidy programs. Please note, that this is a Swanson Reed inernal ideas group, it is not affliated with any government group or public sector panel.
What are Patent Grants?
In a September 2025 report from Swanson Reed’s Patent Grants Thinktank, the authors propose reforming the U.S. patent system—citing examination backlogs, low-quality grants, and litigation by Non-Practicing Entities that raise costs and hinder innovation. They recommend a Collaborative Examination Pathway (CEP), an optional, front-loaded USPTO track that fosters early applicant–examiner collaboration using AI tools and a secure digital platform to improve patent quality, shorten pendency, and bolster 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 with GDP growth—as a simple metric to gauge innovation and measure program outcomes. Learn more
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Core Research & The inventionINDEX
- The inventionINDEX | Theory Whitepaper: Measuring Innovation Elasticity
This foundational report introduces the inventionINDEX, a metric that evaluates innovation health by analyzing the ratio of GDP growth to patent production growth. The paper argues that a 20-year baseline is essential to align with statutory patent lifecycles and identifies a concerning “consolidation phase” in post-pandemic innovation.
- Patent Grants Program and the Innovation Pipeline
Explores the strategic necessity of patent funding initiatives as a mechanism to artificially stimulate the “elasticity” of the U.S. innovation engine. The research examines how targeted, non-dilutive capital can rehabilitate the patenting pipeline in jurisdictions triggering negative sentiment alerts.
- The inventionINDEX | Practical Applications Whitepaper
Introduces the practical applications of the index, specifically the “Traffic Light” warning system. We argue that for states or countries where red-light warnings are triggered, structural patent production deficiencies can be reversed through the immediate execution of Patent Grant Programs.
- The inventionINDEX | Early Warning System Whitepaper
This paper details the alert mechanism used to detect early signs of regional stagnation, triggering automated policy intervention recommendations.
Related Policy & Technical Analysis
- Should the United States Enact a Patent Box?
An analysis of the “patent box” tax regime, evaluating the potential economic benefits and challenges of taxing intellectual property income at a preferential rate within the U.S. tax system.
- Collaborative Patent Grants: Boosting University Collaboration
A program proposal aimed at increasing GDP through tighter integration of university research and commercial patent grants.
- Development of an Early On-Set Innovation Culture
A study on how tax incentives and policy frameworks can stimulate innovation culture in early-stage enterprises.
