Region holds its own in race for patents

A comprehensive national report on more than 30 years of patents shows that while the Gulf Coast isn't Silicon Valley, there's still hope.

The report, “Patenting Prosperity: Invention and Economic Performance in the United States and its Metropolitan Areas” studied patenting trends in 358 metro areas from 1980 to 2012. The Brookings Institute, a private nonprofit research and policy group, produced the report.

Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater is the clear leader in the region. The area had a five-year average of 433 patents approved from 2007 to 2011, which was good for 51st in the country. The entities that led the way in the region with the most patents in 2011 were the University of South Florida, with 88; Baxter International, with 78; Honeywell International, with 30; and the Nielson Co., with 22.