Shanghai has significantly enhanced its intellectual property (IP) strength, with key indicators doubling or more since 2020, officials said at a municipal government press conference on April 21. The progress highlights the city's accelerating shift toward innovation-driven development.
Since 2020, high-value invention patents per 10,000 people have risen from 29.6 to 65, while Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT) applications increased from 3,558 to 7,446. Valid registered trademarks surged to 2.93 million, reflecting strong innovation vitality.
By the end of 2025, Shanghai held over 111,800 invention patents in strategic emerging industries, up 10.25 percent year-on-year. Patent transfers and licensing doubled to 65,000 annually.
IP commercialization has expanded rapidly. Patent and trademarks pledge financing soared from 3.84 billion yuan ($562 million) to 40.2 billion yuan, injecting capital into technology firms and supporting the growth of innovation-driven enterprises.
Judicial and administrative protection has also strengthened. In 2025, Shanghai's courts handled about 46,000 IP cases, with punitive damages reaching 170 million yuan, reflecting higher costs for infringement and improved enforcement efficiency.
Shanghai continues to advance institutional innovation, including pilot programs for data-related IP registration and reforms to technology commercialization. Authorities said the city is poised to align with international best practices and further enhance IP creation, utilization and protection.
To safeguard hard-tech sectors, Shanghai has intensified protection in fields such as biomedicine and artificial intelligence, clarifying legal boundaries through landmark cases involving AI-generated content and setting clearer compliance responsibilities for platform enterprises.
