Thanks in part to the state-funded Utah Science Technology and Research program, Utah finds itself at the top of the list for independent inventor patents awarded per capita in the nation for 2010, according to the Kauffman Foundation.
The 2010 State New Economy Index ranks Utah 17th in patents, with Idaho No. 1. Utah taking the lead in inventor patents might come as a surprise, as many would guess that many of the inventions took place in California's Silicon Valley and Stanford, or among the scientists at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
Michael O'Malley, communications director of Utah Science Technology and Research Initiative, an economic development group, said, "USTAR is a small factor in all of this, but USTAR is probably indicative of a state policy that is friendly towards business and entrepreneurs. That's probably the bigger factor." To date, USTAR has provided grants to 76 projects, which have helped spark 27 new patents and disclosures, according to O'Malley. The Herald Journal
