Source: China Daily

A global auto patent database went online in Tianjin recently. The industry service system, developed by the China Automotive Technology and Research Center, comprises more than 18 million patent documents in the sector. It can be used to forecast the industry's trends, formulate technological progress routes and avert intellectual property risks, designers said. Under the support of the city's IP office, the project is expected to help Chinese automakers to improve their innovation capacity and sharpen their competitive edge.