Residents of this region pride themselves on a pioneering spirit that has spread across generations of those who helped fuel and build this country. But these days, we’re falling behind as others have picked up the torch.

In fact, according to WalletHub’s “Most and Least Innovative States (2026),” Ohio ranks 40th in the country, and West Virginia ranks a predictable 49th.

According to the study, the most innovative places are Washington, D.C., Massachusetts and California.

Those measures are based on data points such as the share of STEM professionals, research and development spending per capita, and concentration of tech companies.

For human capital, Ohio ranks 40th and West Virginia ranks 45th. For innovation environment, the Buckeye State is 37th and the Mountain State is dead last at 51st.

Disturbingly, Ohio is in that dead last spot for projected STEM-job demand by 2030; while West Virginia sits at 50th for venture-capital funding per capita. Those rankings give some idea what researchers see as the future for innovation in the region.

“The most innovative states are especially attractive to people who have majored in science, technology, engineering and math, or STEM, as they offer abundant career opportunities and investment dollars, both for jobs at existing companies and for startups,” said WalletHub analyst Chip Lupo. “These states also instill young students with the skills they need to succeed in the current workforce, skills which are useful whether or not they pursue a STEM career.”

It’s a bit of a chicken-and-egg scenario, sure, when we’re talking about being attractive to the kinds of people qualified to work in innovative fields, while the kinds of employers who would bring such job opportunities are looking for a certain number of workers already in place.

But in addition to economic development officials and lawmakers working toward attracting those who will help diversify and expand our economy — increasing job opportunities and creating the kind of environment that has venture capitalists knocking on our doors — we’ve also got to concentrate on educating and training those who will be ready to fill the jobs.

It’s a lot of work and will require a shift in focus from the past to the future, but we are capable. It’s time to decide to act like it.