Kansas awarded highest honor in recent innovation analysis

TOPEKA, Kan. (KCTV) - Kansas has been awarded the highest honor in a recent analysis of innovation across all 50 U.S. states.

Kansas Governor Laura Kelly says the Sunflower State has been honored as an Innovation Champion - the highest scoring category - in the Consumer Technology Association’s 2025 Scorecard. The achievement highlights the state’s commitment to innovation and quality of life.

“Being named an Innovation Champion for the third time during my administration underscores our efforts to adopt policies that attract technological innovation across a variety of industries,” Governor Kelly said. “The advancements we’ve made in every part of our state demonstrate that Kansas is a premier state to live, work, and raise a family.”

The Governor indicated that CTA’s seventh edition of the U.S. Innovation Scorecard analyzed all 50 states based on 54 indicators across 11 categories. Kansas is 1 of 12 to receive the title of Innovation Champion and among half a dozen that earned the honor on the previous scorecard.

“This year’s U.S. Innovation Scorecard honorees prioritize technology infrastructure and create sophisticated solutions to empower innovation in their communities,” said CTA President Kinsey Fabrizio. “New innovations change the relationship between humans and technology, with advances in robotics, AI, smart home, and more improving the lives of millions of consumers.”

Kelly noted that this year’s scorecard featured four new categories to reflect the expansion of foundations required for technological innovation. The new categories review:

• Blockchain - to assess state legislation on policies toward blockchain technology.
• Data Privacy - to measure indicators on businesses’ ability to innovate and compete without compromising snensive data or legal clarity.
• Grid Preparedness - to measure a state’s energy demand in comparison to its energy supply.
• Manufacturing - to analyze a state’s total number of manufacturers, its manufacturing percentage of GDP and how it attracts new manufacturing talent.

Kelly indicated that the new categories complement the seven categories carried over from the previous scorecard. The move underscores the CTA’s intent to assess how states have continued to develop in critical areas.

For more information about the 2025 scorecard, click HERE.

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