MONTANA INVENTION INDEX – MARCH 2025

The Invention Index measures a country’s or state’s innovation output by comparing GDP growth with patent production growth. 

Montana Invention Index March 2025: 6.13% (A+ grade)

Montana Invention Index over the last year:

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).

Discussion:

In March, the Montana Invention Index scored a positive sentiment which was higher than the previous year’s average but underperformed the upward trend for the year. This is similar to the prior 12 months, which experienced an upward trend. As the world continues to recover from the height of the Covid-19 pandemic, it is unclear if there is any backlog of applications awaiting approval or if the department has fully caught up. If approvals are not yet caught up, we may see a decrease in approvals – and a reduced Invention Index – in the coming months/years as the state feels the full economic impact of companies closing and/or being forced to minimize their staffing and therefore minimize their R&D work hours.

Thank you for clarifying that you’ve already provided the scores! Here’s the table based on the data you gave:

Analysis

The Invention Index score for March 2025 stands at 6.13%, reflecting a slight dip compared to the previous month, February 2025, which recorded the highest score at 8.85%. This drop suggests that while Missouri’s innovative capacity remains strong, it may have encountered challenges or a temporary slowdown during March. Despite the decrease, the 6.13% score still represents a solid performance, maintaining a high level of innovation when compared to earlier months.

Looking back at the preceding months, the scores have generally been trending upward from September 2024 to February 2025. In September, the score started at 4.77%, and over the following months, there was a steady increase in the score, peaking at 8.85% in February. This upward trend was interrupted in March, but it still reflects strong, consistent growth overall, with March remaining higher than the scores seen in the second half of 2024.

A comparison between March and earlier months, especially in the context of the last six months, highlights that even with the dip in March, the overall score trajectory remains positive. The increase from 4.77% in September 2024 to 6.13% in March 2025 is a clear indicator of an overall improvement in the Invention Index. Even though there is a slight decrease from February to March, it is still within the range of consistent high-performance levels observed throughout the period.

Learn more about the Invention Index here.

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 contact a Swanson Reed R&D Specialist today or check out our free online eligibility test.

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