Organizations and residents applied for more than 81,000 patents in the first 11 months of the year, an increase of 22 percent year-on-year, ranking the province eighth nationwide and at the top in Central China. More than 45,000 patents were granted in the period, including 3,907 invention patents, a surge of 41.6 percent. The increase was the second-highest nationwide.

(Source: China Daily)