Massachusetts maintained its stature as the top spot as the leading U.S. state for mining economic growth from technology and science while California lost ground, according to a study released Thursday. The report by the Milken Institute has ranked Massachusetts as the top U.S. technology incubator all three times it has been compiled since 2002. But California, despite its Silicon Valley and a worldwide reputation as a hotbed of innovation, slipped from second place to fourth. The rankings are based on factors such as entrepreneurial environment, population of tech-savvy workers, and government support of education and other programs aimed at stimulating high-tech growth. Maryland moved into the second spot, while Colorado held on to third, where it stood the last time the study was conducted in 2004. Washington, the home state of Microsoft Corp., rounded out the top five. California’s high-tech stature is declining, according to the report, largely because its ability to educate and retain future computer engineers and scientists is slipping. The state ranked 13th in the Milken Institute’s “human capital investment” category, which was led by Maryland. “This should be seen as a red flag” for California, said Ross DeVol, the Milken Institute’s director of regional economics. Go to: Los Angeles Times. For the full report, go to: The Miliken Institute

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