Sandoval County top patent contributor

Per capita rate bests metro, state, nation

Residents of Sandoval County have more patents per capita than their counterparts in the metropolitan area, state, or nation, according to a recent study commissioned by the Sandoval Economic Alliance.

It’s a reflection of the number of Sandoval residents who leave the county for their jobs at Sandia National Laboratories and elsewhere.

The study found that between 2010 and 2015, the United States Patent and Trademark Office issued 60 patents per 10,000 residents of Sandoval County. That rate is five times greater than that of the metropolitan area, six times higher than the state’s and three times higher than the national average.

Steve Jenkins, the Alliance’s president, said the research showed that the high concentration of utility patents — the type of patent issued for inventions — was “not just because of Intel.” The organizations most frequently listed on the patents were Sandia, the University of New Mexico, U.S. Air Force, Honeywell Corp., Cabot Corp. and Xilinx.

“The patents are across multiple sectors and technologies,” said Jenkins. “It’s an indicator of a very highly-educated workforce in Sandoval County that is leaving to work at places like Sandia. There’s an entrepreneurial spirit here that we really need to take advantage of.”

The study, conducted by Austin, Texas-based Avalanche Consulting, found that about 75 percent of the county’s approximately 62,000 working residents leave Sandoval County to commute to work every day. Among the study’s recommendations for transforming the county’s “bedroom community” status and attracting employers to the area:

Focus on attracting businesses from three industries: life sciences, professional services and support, and advanced technology and manufacturing.

Find more “shovel-ready” construction sites with access to utilities.

Complete the Paseo del Volcan road project.

Build additional multi-unit family housing options.

Jenkins said his organization is developing a comprehensive action plan in response to the study’s findings. One possible next step: creating a “golden shovel” designation for properties that have the infrastructure and permitting in place for development.

“We have no intention of letting this work sink into oblivion,” he said.