Nearly one-third of U.S. states achieved "innovation champion" status in the Consumer Technology Association's 2020 U.S. Innovation Scorecard, with the majority located far from the coastal areas typically classified as the nation's technology hubs.
Each state's innovation efforts were evaluated based on 12 criteria, including internet speed and cost, workforce development, entrepreneurial activity and support for disruptive technologies such as self-driving cars and drones. States were then ranked and classified as, in ascending order, modest innovators, innovation adopters, innovation leaders and innovation champions.
The 15 U.S. innovation champions are:
1. Colorado
2. Michigan
3. New Hampshire
4. Utah
5. Virginia
6. Massachusetts
7. Iowa
8. Arizona
9. Nebraska
10. Washington
11. Indiana
12. Kansas
13. Maryland
14. Missouri
15. Minnesota
View the full report here.