Shanghai has more than doubled its high-value invention patents per 10,000 residents from 29.6 to 65 over the past five years, marking a major leap in innovation strength as the city shifts toward improving full-chain intellectual property efficiency in 2026.
During the 14th Five-Year Plan (2021-25), annual Patent Cooperation Treaty filings rose from 3,558 to 7,446, valid trademark registrations increased from 1.74 million to 2.93 million, and annual copyright registrations climbed to 460,000.
The Shanghai-Suzhou cluster ranked sixth in the Global Innovation Index, with the city receiving State Council commendations twice and maintaining top national intellectual property assessment ratings for five consecutive years, reinforcing its national leadership position.
Commercialization gathered pace as universities, research institutes, and medical institutions completed inventories of 76,300 existing patents. The commercialization rate of invention patents reached 10.53 percent, while annual licensing and transfer transactions doubled from 32,000 to 65,000.
Financial support expanded significantly, with patent and trademark pledge financing jumping from 3.84 billion yuan ($560 million) to 40.2 billion yuan annually. Courts concluded 47,000 intellectual property cases and awarded over 170 million yuan in punitive damages.
In 2026, the first year of the 15th Five-Year Plan (2026-30), Shanghai will enhance governance capacity, strengthen coordinated and overseas protection, promote the cultivation of high-value patents and financial pilots, upgrade public services, and reinforce talent development.
