Section 08: Tech Infrastructure Metrics
Patents Issued
Patents are another indicator of the level of innovation occurring in a region
Patents often spur growth, particularly in high-cost industries such as pharmaceuticals. For this metric, patents are standardized by the number of science and engineering workers.
North Carolina averaged about 22.4 patents per 1,000 science and engineering workers in 2024
The state’s ranking remained at #17, despite the level being lower than in 2023, when it measured 24.1 patents per 1,000 workers.
Source: EL calculations based on USPTO (2025) and Lightcast 2025.4
Patents Issued per 1,000 Science & Engineering Workers, 2024
