The Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area is one of the regions in China with the highest level of openness and the strongest economic vitality. From institutional alignment to cross-border protection, from technology transfer to regional cooperation, Guangdong, Hong Kong, and Macao have actively leveraged their respective strengths and released synergistic effects to jointly build an international science and technology innovation center with global influence, achieving a series of remarkable results. How does intellectual property (IP) help drive the Greater Bay Area's rise as a global innovation hub? Recently, a press conference held by the China National Intellectual Property Administration (CNIPA) in Guangzhou shed light on the IP strength driving the development of the Greater Bay Area.
Strong innovation capability
According to the 2025 World's Top 100 Innovation Clusters Ranking released by the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), the Shenzhen-Hong Kong-Guangzhou cluster claimed the top spot for the first time, while the Macao-Zhuhai cluster entered the top 100 for the second consecutive year. The dual engines of industrial innovation and technological innovation in the Greater Bay Area continue to demonstrate new vitality, driving the emergence of a number of innovation-oriented enterprises with international influence.
Originating in Guangdong, XPENG has accelerated its global expansion, with its sales and service network covering more than 46 countries and regions worldwide. "In the process of globalization, we hope to lead with technology and make China's innovations in smart cockpits and assisted driving benefit more overseas users," said Zhao Dawu, IP Director of XPENG. As of now, the company has filed more than 7,000 patent applications globally, of which more than 3,600 have been granted, and has carried out trademark protection in over 120 countries.
In the exhibition hall of RoboSense Technology Co., Ltd., various models of LiDAR products are displayed on one side, while on the other side are cutting-edge products such as the Active Camera and dexterous hands. "Over the past decade, our company has mainly focused on R&D of LiDAR technology. Today, among vehicles equipped with LiDAR on the market, one in every two uses our technology," said Xie Xing, RoboSense's Assistant to the Chairman and Head of the Planning Department. The company has so far established more than 1,900 patent families across major global markets. In the future, RoboSense will expand the R&D of the Active Camera series based on its technological accumulation in LiDAR, providing next-generation perception solutions for the embodied intelligence industry.
Well-developed cross-border protection
As collaborative innovation in the Greater Bay Area deepens, innovation entities from Hong Kong and Macao are showing growing enthusiasm for investing and developing businesses in the Chinese mainland. Their demand for cross-border IP protection, especially fast and coordinated protection, is also increasing. "The Economic and Technological Development Bureau (DSEDT) of the Macao Special Administrative Region Government has actively cooperated with the CNIPA to implement the pilot program launched two years ago, allowing Macao applicants to apply for priority examination of invention patents in the Chinese mainland. This program supports Macao innovators to protect IP in the Chinese mainland more conveniently and effectively," said Kong Son Cheong, Director of DSEDT's IP Department, at the press conference. As of the end of September this year, Macao applicants had submitted 64 priority examination applications in the Chinese mainland, with the shortest approval period taking only 5.3 months.
At the end of June this year, the Shenzhen Intellectual Property Protection Center officially launched a fast-track patent pre-examination service for Hong Kong innovators in relevant industrial fields. "Hong Kong innovators have shown a strong demand for accelerating their patent portfolio deployment in the Chinese mainland, reflecting the efficient cross-border flow of innovation factors within the Greater Bay Area," said the center's Deputy Director, Deng Aike. The service can shorten the examination period for patents filed from Hong Kong to the Chinese mainland to as little as two to three months. A number of Hong Kong innovators, including the Hong Kong Polytechnic University and China Resources Research Institute of Science & Technology, have already registered with the center.
Active transfer ecosystem
"Please pick up a card and scan the QR code!" In the exhibition hall of the Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology (SIAT), Chinese Academy of Sciences, visitors can find a special achievement expo, where the trading items are cards labeled "Scientific Discovery,""Commercialized Achievement," and "Achievement Pending Commercialization." By scanning the QR codes, visitors can view detailed information about each achievement, including its technological innovations and application scenarios.
At SIAT, the innovative model for the commercialization of scientific and technological achievements goes far beyond this. "We adhere to an integrated approach that combines scientific research with industrial development, building a 'fishpond ecosystem' centered on the industrial innovation chain to drive the deep integration of scientific innovation and industrial innovation," said Zhang Songlan, Deputy Director of the Department of Research and Knowledge Transfer Services at SIAT. To date, SIAT has filed 17,200 patent applications, with over 7,000 patents granted, and has achieved an average patent commercialization rate of 27.5%.
Across the Greater Bay Area, the continuously active ecosystem for IP commercialization and utilization has yielded fruitful results. For example, the National Intellectual Property Operation (Shenzhen Hetao) International Commercialization Pilot Platform has facilitated connections with world-renowned universities and research institutions, promoting over 120 high-value patent transaction intentions and facilitating more than 30 actual transactions. Meanwhile, the Greater Bay Area Cross-Regional Patent Commercialization Cooperation Alliance has enabled 776 cross-regional patent transfers among universities and research institutes. More and more innovations from the Greater Bay Area are now opening new pathways into global markets.
Outstanding global connectivity
Not long ago, the 7th Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area Intellectual Property Trade Expo successfully concluded, attracting more than 100 Chinese and international exhibitors. Over the three-day event, the total on-site financing and transaction volume exceeded 8 billion yuan, showcasing the Greater Bay Area's strong global appeal.
High-quality services are an important driver of the high-level opening-up of the Greater Bay Area. According to the press conference, 14 foreign patent agencies have been approved to establish their permanent representative offices in China in the region. "The China-Singapore Guangzhou Knowledge City International Intellectual Property Service Hall has brought together 40 leading domestic and international IP service institutions, providing innovators with internationalized services right at their doorstep," said Wu Ling, Secretary-General of the Guangzhou Development District Intellectual Property Association.
The Greater Bay Area has jointly established 14 Technology and Innovation Support Centers (TISCs) with WIPO, and the CNIPA has cooperated with Peking University to build an international IP institute in the region. With its market-oriented, law-based, and internationalized first-class business environment, the Greater Bay Area is rapidly emerging as a pilot zone for high-level opening-up, a hub for premium IP services, and an incubator for international IP talent, thereby accelerating its integration into the global innovation network.