INNOVATION GAINS.

• Position: NC TREND: Statewide

North Carolina ranked 20th in the U.S. in innovation, according to a new study by the N.C. Board of Science, Technology & Innovation. It considers 39 measures of innovation capacity nationally. Previous studies ranked North Carolina as 21st in 2019, 23rd in 2017 and 2015, and 24th in 2013.

State officials say innovation determines how fast the N.C. economy will grow and whether the standard of living improves. Innovation depends on the quality of education, investment in research and development, and moving that R&D out of the labs and into markets. The report noted that the state's high-paying technology and life-sciences jobs are concentrated in Mecklenburg, Durham and Wake counties, while many rural areas aren't benefiting significantly from innovation efforts.

According to the report, North Carolina ranks fifth in the country in terms of academic science and...