OKLAHOMA INVENTIONINDEX | MAY 2025
May 2025: 1.50% (B- grade)
Oklahoma inventionINDEX May 2025: 1.50% (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).
The latest inventionINDEX Score for May 2025 shows a modest rise to 1.50%, a slight improvement from January’s low of 1.35% but still notably below the April 2025 figure of 4.00%. This pattern suggests some volatility in Oklahoma’s innovation output over the past few months. The April spike appears to be an outlier, potentially driven by short-term factors such as patent application surges or sector-specific developments. While May’s score represents a decrease from April, it is important to note that it aligns closely with several past months, including November 2024 and May 2024, both of which also recorded 1.50% and 0.91%, respectively.
Looking at the broader historical trend over the last 12 months, Oklahoma has seen several strong periods, most notably in July 2024 with a 3.12% score and in April 2025. These highs indicate moments when the state likely experienced favorable innovation conditions, perhaps tied to increased funding, strong university research output, or robust startup activity. Sustained scores above the 2.5% threshold—as seen in March 2025, August 2024, and June 2024—are generally associated with a healthier innovation ecosystem. They tend to reflect not only increased patent activity but also a greater likelihood of market-ready technologies emerging from regional inventors.
Higher inventionINDEX Scores are typically correlated with stronger economic prospects. A higher score suggests that new ideas are being generated and potentially commercialized, which can attract investment, support job creation, and elevate Oklahoma’s national reputation as a hub for innovation. This level of activity can stimulate local industries, enhance university-industry partnerships, and drive intellectual property revenues. For policymakers and business leaders, such trends provide useful insight into whether state-level initiatives are effectively fostering innovation.
Conversely, lower scores like those seen in January 2025 and September 2024 (1.35% and 0.61%, respectively) may indicate a stagnation in innovation activity. While a single month’s dip isn’t cause for concern, a pattern of low scores could signal challenges such as funding shortages, regulatory hurdles, or talent retention issues. These issues, if unaddressed, may reduce the state’s competitiveness and slow its transition into high-value, knowledge-based industries. It is essential for stakeholders to closely monitor such fluctuations and proactively support the infrastructure that enables sustained innovation growth.
Discussion:
In May, the Oklahoma 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 Oklahoma office provides R&D tax credit consulting and advisory services to Oklahoma City, Tulsa, Norman, Broken Arrow, Lawton, Edmond, Moore, Midwest City, Enid, and Stillwater.
Feel free to book a quick teleconference with one of R&D tax specialists if you would like to learn more about R&D tax credit opportunities.
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