Shanghai has climbed to fifth in the world's Top Science and Technology Clusters ranking, according to the 2023 Global Innovation Index Report, which was released by the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) on Sept 20.

The report shows that Shanghai, together with Suzhou, form the fifth largest science and technology cluster in the world, up one spot from the previous year. This is also the first time Shanghai is in the top five.

Shanghai has been striving to build an international IP protection highland and an international intellectual property center in recent years. The city has issued and implemented the Outline for Building a Strong IP City of Shanghai and the 14th Five-Year Plan (2021-25) and created regulations such as the Regulations of Shanghai Municipality on Intellectual Property Rights Protection and the Several Provisions on the Establishment of a High-level Intellectual Property Protection System in Pudong New Area, Shanghai.

Shanghai has continuously improved its protection system, application system and service system of IP rights, deepened international cooperation and exchange IP, and promoted the establishment and operation of a number of important functional institutions, such as the SIPOP International Operation (Shanghai) Platform, the Shanghai International College of Intellectual Property, the WIPO Arbitration and Mediation Shanghai Service, the Shanghai Intellectual Property Protection Center and the Shanghai Pudong New Area Intellectual Property Protection Center. These efforts have created a favorable environment and provided strong support that stimulates creativity in the city.

Shanghai's position in the ranking is a result of the efforts taken to strengthen innovation functions and build a city that has strong IP rights. The ranking of science and technology clusters is an important index to measure the IP innovation capacity of global cities. It was first introduced to the WIPO's Global Innovation Index in 2017.

Shanghai's rise in ranking is partly due to the rapid growth of PCT international patent applications. According to statistics, the number of PCT international patent applications in 2022 increased by 15.76 percent year-on-year, 14.62 percentage points higher than the national average growth rate in the same period.