NEBRASKA INVENTIONINDEX | APRIL 2025

April 2025: 1.21% (A- grade)

Nebraska inventionINDEX April 2025: 1.21% (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).

Nebraska inventionINDEX: Six-Month Comparative Analysis

The Nebraska inventionINDEX Score for April 2025 reached 1.21%, marking one of the highest figures in the past six months. This continues a positive trend from January and February, where the index hovered around 1.07% and 0.82%, respectively. Compared to October through December 2024, April’s performance is strong, though it does not surpass the peak of 1.23% observed in both August and December 2024. The following table outlines the recent six-month trend:

A higher inventionINDEX Score signals increased innovation activity within the state. This can lead to stronger patent output, improved investment potential, and a more dynamic entrepreneurial environment. Notably, April’s 1.21% demonstrates a rebound from the dip in February, suggesting renewed momentum in innovation efforts.

Conversely, lower scores—such as those recorded in February and March—may reflect challenges like reduced R&D funding, lagging patent approvals, or slower technological deployment. These months may indicate periods when support for innovation slowed or external factors impeded inventive progress.

Overall, the index reflects a relatively stable and improving innovation landscape in Nebraska over the past six months, with recent scores pointing toward growth in inventive activity.

Discussion:

In April, the Nebraska 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 Nebraska office provides R&D tax credit consulting and advisory services to Omaha, Lincoln, Bellevue, Grand Island, and Kearney.

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.