Chronicle
staff
(NATIONAL) -- Innovation
is a principal driver of U.S. economic growth. In 2018, the U.S. will
spend an estimated $553
billion on
research and development — more than any other country in the
world and over 25% of the world’s total — helping
America rank
No. 4 on the Global
Innovation Index.
According
to the results of the ranking, knowledge and technology outputs are
America’s particular strengths.
But
certain states deserve more credit than others for America’s
dominance in the tech era. These states continue to grow innovation
through investments in education, research and business creation,
especially in highly specialized industries.
To
define which states are the nation’s biggest contributors, the
busy bees over at WalletHub compared the 50 states
and the
District of Columbia across 22 key indicators of
innovation-friendliness.
Their
data set ranges from share of STEM professionals to R&D
spending
per capita to tech-company density.
Turns
out that our state of Washington ranks in the Top 5 (#3) in the
country in leading the nation in innovation.
Here's
a look at our strengths in innovation from that study:
Innovation
in Washington (1
=
Most
Innovative, 25
=
Avg.):
-
2nd – Share of STEM
Professionals
-
3rd – Projected STEM-Job Demand by
2020
-
20th – Eighth-Grade Math &
Science Performance
-
3rd – Share of Science &
Engineering Graduates Aged 25+
-
12th – Share of Technology Companies
-
7th – R&D
Spending per Capita
-
6th – Venture-Capital
Funding per Capita
For
the full report,
checkout: https://wallethub.com/edu/most-innovative-states/31890/