i3 - March/April 2020 - 38

Policy

By Jeremy Snow

T EC H H U B

15 States Champion Innovation

very other year, CTA looks into each state's tech policies
to see how they measure up. As the tech industry
becomes more complex and wide-reaching, CTA's U.S.
Innovation Scorecard offers a unique analysis of the progress
each state has made and where improvements can occur.

This year, 15 states earned the highest
title of Innovation Champion - the
most ever - while only seven declined
in rank. Of those 15, a significant number were from the Midwest, including
first-timers Iowa, Minnesota and
Missouri. Since the last Scorecard in
2018, internet access has improved in all
50 states and self-driving vehicle testing
and development have taken off. "This
list proves that American innovation is
not confined to the coasts. We're proud
to recognize those states doing the most
to unleash innovation and fulfill the
potential of technology - creating jobs,
powering our economy and delivering
life-changing benefits," says Gary
Shapiro, president and CEO, CTA.
All 50 states are graded on 12 categories - quantitative and qualitative -
that evaluate innovation-friendly
policies, including entrepreneurial activity, sustainability, tax friendliness and
the workforce. Then, a composite
score of each grade determines a
state's overall title: Innovation
Champions (the highest ranking), Innovation Leaders,
Innovation Adopters or
Modest Innovators.

transportation option and apprenticeship programs that help build the workforce of the future.
"We believe that collaborating with
business on rulemaking to govern
emerging technologies makes America
the best country in the world for innovation," adds Shapiro. "The CTA U.S.
Innovation Scorecard emphasizes forward-thinking, light-handed policies
that are proven to work and help today's
innovators create a better tomorrow."
There's plenty to celebrate among
2020's Innovation Champions:
Washington's freedom on drone activity,
Virginia's 56 tech jobs per 1,000 people,
Massachusetts' nation high investments
in R&D and venture capital, the list goes
on. To find the rankings of every state,
visit CTA.tech/Advocacy/InnovationScorecard.

Here are some of the
accomplishments of the
three new Champions:
● IOWA earned a "Best &
Brightest" rating thanks to its
strong protection of workers
based on sexual orientation and/
or gender identity. It also ranks
among the top states in the Tech
Workforce category, with roughly
38 tech jobs per 1,000 people
and almost 2,000 apprenticeship
graduates in 2018.
● MINNESOTA is leading the
country in self-driving vehicles,
thanks to a 2019 executive order
establishing an advisory council
on the topic. The new rulings will
update laws to allow for self-driving testing, which will be especially valuable considering
Minnesota's snowy weather.

● MISSOURI has nearly 38 tech
jobs per 1,000 people and had
more than 2,600 apprenticeship
graduates in 2018 - one of the
highest numbers in the country.
The state also permits the testing
and development of self-driving
vehicles without restrictive
regulations.
Hudiemm/Getty Images

Iowa, Minnesota and Missouri rose through the ranks of
CTA's 2020 U.S. Innovation Scorecard

New Criteria

This year, CTA also
added how well
states welcome
5G connectivity,
e-scooters as a

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i3 - March/April 2020

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