LOUISIANA INVENTIONINDEX | APRIL 2025
April 2025: 1.29% (B grade)
Louisiana inventionINDEX April 2025: 1.29% (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).
Louisiana inventionINDEX – Six-Month Comparative Analysis
The Louisiana inventionINDEX Score for April 2025 stands at 1.29%, showing a moderate uptick from March 2025 (1.24%) but falling below the peak recorded in November 2024 (1.40%). Over the last six months, scores have fluctuated, with October 2024 notably reaching a high of 2.40%, a significant outlier likely driven by temporary innovation surges or state-specific patent activity. Despite a slight dip in early 2025, the overall trend from November onward reflects a moderately stable innovation environment.
| Month | inventionINDEX Score |
|---|---|
| Apr 2025 | 1.29% |
| Mar 2025 | 1.24% |
| Feb 2025 | 1.34% |
| Jan 2025 | 1.13% |
| Dec 2024 | 1.13% |
| Nov 2024 | 1.40% |
Higher inventionINDEX scores typically signal increased patent filings, research output, and entrepreneurial activity. For Louisiana, maintaining a score above 1.2% reflects resilience in its innovation pipeline, fostering economic opportunities and attracting R&D investment. The state’s peak in October 2024 may have amplified its appeal to tech incubators and policy initiatives focused on science and technology.
Conversely, when the index dips—as seen in January and December 2024 at 1.13%—it may indicate a slowdown in innovation output. This can reflect broader economic pressures, reduced funding, or brain drain, potentially stifling long-term competitiveness. Sustained low scores could hinder Louisiana’s ability to retain talent and attract strategic partnerships, underscoring the need for consistent support of innovation ecosystems.
Discussion:
In April, the Louisiana inventionINDEX scored a positive sentiment which was lower than the previous year’s average and underperformed the upward trend for the year. This is similar to the prior 12 months, which experienced an upward 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 Louisiana office provides R&D tax credit consulting and advisory services to New Orleans, Baton Rouge, Shreveport, Lafayette, Lake Charles, Kenner, Bossier City, Monroe, Alexandria and Houma.
Feel free to book a quick teleconference with one of R&D tax specialists at a time that is convenient for you, if you would like to learn more about R&D tax credit opportunities.
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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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