MISSOURI INVENTIONINDEX | APRIL 2025

April 2025: 1.24% (A+ grade)

Missouri inventionINDEX April 2025: 1.24% (A+ 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).

Missouri inventionINDEX – 6-Month Performance Analysis

The Missouri inventionINDEX over the last six months reflects moderate fluctuation with a slight upward trend toward April 2025. Below is a summary of the monthly scores:

The highest score in this period was recorded in April 2025 at 1.24%, a strong indicator of growing innovation activity in Missouri. Compared to November 2024’s low of 1.04%, this marks a 19.2% increase. The gains in January (1.18%) and April (1.24%) highlight potentially effective state-level innovation incentives or increased research commercialization.

A higher inventionINDEX score typically signals stronger patent activity, technological advancement, and economic competitiveness. For Missouri, an uptick suggests a robust innovation ecosystem, potentially attracting investment, boosting job creation in high-tech sectors, and reinforcing university-industry collaboration.

Conversely, lower scores, such as those seen in November 2024 and February 2025, may indicate slowing innovation output or inefficiencies in the commercialization pipeline. If such declines persist, it could lead to reduced funding, talent migration, or a diminished competitive edge in key technology sectors. Monitoring these trends is crucial for strategic planning and ensuring sustained growth in innovation performance.

Discussion:

In April, the Missouri 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 a slight 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 Missouri office provides R&D tax credit consulting and advisory services to Kansas City, St Louis, Springfield, Columbia, Independence, Lees Summit, Ofallon, St Joseph, St Charles, and Blue Springs.

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.