China sees increased industrialized patents from enterprises

BEIJING, March 29 (Xinhua) -- The industrialization rate of invention patents held by Chinese enterprises has surpassed 50 percent for the first time, China's top intellectual property (IP) regulator said on Friday.

The industrialization rate in 2023 has reached 51.3 percent, 3.2 percentage points up from the previous year. It has maintained a consistent upward trend for five consecutive years, said Ge Shu, a senior official at the China National Intellectual Property Administration, citing data from the country's latest patent report.

Ge highlighted that the level of patent industrialization in high-tech enterprises had also increased. He said the industrialization rate in state-level high-tech enterprises had reached 57.6 percent in 2023, which was 1.5 percentage points higher than the previous year.

Enterprises play a crucial role in driving scientific and technological innovation as well as industrial transformation, serving as the primary source of China's patent output and commercialization. According to Ge, Chinese enterprises currently hold over 70 percent of the country's effective invention patents -- with the total number held by enterprises exceeding 3 million.

Ge also mentioned that certain enterprises, particularly small and medium-sized ones, still encounter challenges when it comes to transforming patents into products and achieving industrialization.

Notably, the Chinese government recently released a plan aimed at enhancing support measures for the industrialization of patents among small and medium-sized enterprises.