The Shanghai-Suzhou, Nanjing and Zhenjiang innovation clusters have been named among the world's top 100 innovation clusters in the 2026 ranking released by the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO); two companies in Suzhou Industrial Park won the 2026 WIPO Global Awards; and Wuxi launched a RMB 1 billion equity investment fund focused on intellectual property (IP), the first of its kind among China's prefecture-level cities. Across the province, innovation is gathering momentum. As a vital link between technological innovation and industrial innovation, IP plays a key role in this progress. How is IP helping Jiangsu foster new quality productive forces? At a recent press conference held by the China National Intellectual Property Administration (CNIPA) in Beijing, Jiangsu outlined its innovative approaches to developing new quality productive forces in line with local conditions and improving quality and efficiency across the entire IP value chain.
Innovation at the source: Boosting high-quality sci-tech supply
Technological innovation gives rise to new industries, business models and growth drivers, making it a core element in developing new quality productive forces. In recent years, Jiangsu has made the cultivation of high-value patents a priority, channeling innovation resources toward critical links in key industries and strengthening the foundations for future growth. "Jiangsu took the lead in China to launch a high-value patent cultivation program. We have explored a model that brings together leading enterprises, competitive academic disciplines and high-end services, supporting enterprises, universities, research institutes and IP service providers in jointly establishing provincial-level high-value patent cultivation centers. We have also introduced a cultivation mechanism that prioritizes patent quality and value," said Zhang Chuanbo, deputy director of the Intellectual Property Office of Jiangsu Province, at the press conference. Over the past five years, Jiangsu has supported the establishment of 135 provincial-level cultivation centers, which have directly generated 22,000 invention patents. Some of these core patents have reached internationally leading levels in their respective fields.
Alongside strengthening innovation at the source, Jiangsu follows a demand-driven approach in which industrial needs guide IP development, helping pave the way for new quality productive forces. Focusing on 16 advanced manufacturing clusters and 50 key industrial chains prioritized for provincial development, Jiangsu has stepped up patent landscaping and navigation and launched initiatives to match talent with industrial needs and strengthen industrial chains through IP. These efforts promote closer integration between patent information and the innovation chain, as well as between high-level talent and industrial development, helping strengthen industrial chains, fill gaps and secure critical links.
Innovation in action: Turning ideas into tangible results
Turning promising ideas from laboratories into valuable products on production lines requires effective patent commercialization and utilization. "Patent commercialization and utilization are becoming a key driver of growth for Jiangsu's development of new quality productive forces," Zhang said. To advance its special initiative on patent commercialization and utilization, Jiangsu organized 158 universities and research institutes to review more than 210,000 patents, establishing a clearer picture of its existing patent assets. The province has also developed flagship initiatives while exploring a "use first, pay later" model. Together, these efforts are helping bridge the gap between universities, research institutes and businesses.
Wuxi, a major hub for industrial innovation and technological development in the Yangtze River Delta, is also advancing patent commercialization. "Wuxi has made patent commercialization and utilization an integral part of its market-oriented reforms in the allocation of production factors, while continuously improving services across the entire commercialization process," said Zhou Wendong, vice mayor of Wuxi. Wuxi has issued securitized products backed by IP and technology innovation assets, including asset-backed securities and notes. It has also explored an integrated operating model combining high-value patent pools, standard-essential patents and dynamic returns. In addition, the city has established and put into operation a Technology and Innovation Support Center (TISC) under WIPO. These initiatives are helping Wuxi improve the efficiency of patent commercialization, expand its reach and deepen its integration with industry.
Innovation through protection: Delivering more efficient IP services
IP protection in emerging fields is essential to supporting the development of new quality productive forces. Jiangsu took the lead nationally in establishing a coordinated, fast-track IP protection system covering all its prefecture-level cities, structured as "1+13+N." The province is also advancing a closed-loop process for resolving disputes through multiple channels. Of particular note, nine national-level IP protection centers across Jiangsu have opened 41 fast-track preliminary examination channels for AI-related patents, covering 90% of the relevant patent classification areas. They have served more than 6,500 AI companies, helping applicants secure patent rights more quickly for 11,000 applications.
In 2025, Jiangsu's total imports and exports reached a record 5.95 trillion yuan, including exports of 3.96 trillion yuan. As businesses across the province expand overseas, IP services for international markets are becoming increasingly important. "In recent years, Jiangsu has been shifting its focus in cross-border IP protection from responding to disputes after they arise to proactive planning and early risk prevention," Zhang said. The province's framework for cross-border IP legal services — built around one mechanism, one center, one alliance and one platform — has been tested in practice. Through this framework, Jiangsu has provided more than 1,500 instances of end-to-end support in areas including key industries, overseas exhibitions and cross-border e-commerce. This has helped establish a closed-loop approach encompassing early warnings, responses during disputes and post-case reviews.
Innovation for the future: Expanding the frontiers of digital intelligence
Advancing the two-way integration of AI and IP is a strategic move by Jiangsu to secure an early lead in emerging fields. On the IP side, Jiangsu is focusing on protecting and supporting AI research, development resources and entrepreneurship. Of the 5,037 data IP registration certificates issued through provincial registration platforms, 75% cover data that can support the training of large AI models. The registered data spans five core AI fields, while commercialization through data trading, licensing and enhanced financing has generated more than 1.1 billion yuan in value.
On the AI side, Jiangsu is applying AI to improve the quality and efficiency of IP creation, utilization, protection, services and governance. The province is coordinating innovation resources — including patents, data and algorithms — to support this effort. For example, Jiangsu is establishing a Digital Intelligence Innovation and Empowerment Center for IP through the Jiangsu International Legal and Business Services Hub. It has also launched China's first digital innovation laboratory dedicated to IP and is supporting Suzhou in developing an "AI+IP" innovation hub. These pioneering initiatives are laying a stronger foundation for digital and intelligent innovation and injecting fresh momentum into Jiangsu's development of new quality productive forces.
Key Figures:
· In 2025, Jiangsu had 292,000 high-value invention patents, accounting for 12.7% of the national total.
· In 2025, patent transfers and licensing in Jiangsu totaled 94,000 transactions, including more than 8,800 involving universities and research institutes.
· In 2025, Jiangsu had nine national-level IP protection centers, seven rapid-response IP protection centers, and 11 TISCs.
· By the end of 2025, Jiangsu had 34.2 high-value invention patents per 10,000 people, 2.1 times the national average. The province had 3.345 million valid registered trademarks, up 79.6% from the end of the 13th Five-Year Plan period (2020).