MAINE INVENTIONINDEX | APRIL 2025

April 2025: 1.21% (B grade)

Maine inventionINDEX April 2025: 1.21% (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).

Six-Month Analysis of the Maine inventionINDEX Score

Over the last six months, Maine’s inventionINDEX score has shown a modest but notable upward trend, culminating in April 2025 with a peak value of 1.21%. This is the highest score recorded in over a year, indicating a strengthening of innovation-driven activity across the state. Compared to the average score of 0.81% in the preceding five months, April’s figure reflects increased momentum in research output, patent filings, or new technological initiatives.

A higher inventionINDEX score typically suggests robust innovation ecosystems, with active R&D investment, startup activity, and technological adoption. For Maine, this rise can signal increased job creation in STEM fields, enhanced academic-industry collaboration, and greater national competitiveness in technology sectors. Such growth also attracts funding and talent, reinforcing the state’s innovation infrastructure.

However, inconsistent monthly scores—such as the dip to 0.71% in December—highlight vulnerabilities. A lower score could imply slowed innovation, underinvestment in research, or brain drain. Prolonged downturns may deter venture capital and reduce public-private partnerships, affecting long-term economic growth.

Discussion:

In April, the Maine inventionINDEX scored a positive sentiment which was higher than the previous year’s average and outperformed the downward trend for the year. This is in contrast 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 Maine office provides R&D tax credit consulting and advisory services to Portland, Lewiston, Bangor, South Portland and Auburn.

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.

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.