As one of China's most open and economically dynamic regions, the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA) has witnessed the intellectual property (IP) system striving to streamline the entire chain of IP creation, application, protection, management, and services in recent years. It has actively supported Guangdong, Hong Kong, and Macao in leveraging their respective advantages, unlocking synergies, and jointly building a world-influential international science and technology innovation center, achieving a series of landmark outcomes.

On October 31, the State Intellectual Property Office (SIPO) held a press conference in Guangzhou themed "Intellectual Property Empowers High-Quality Development of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area." Heng Fuguang, Spokesperson and Director of the General Office of SIPO, stated at the conference that according to the 2025 Global Top 100 Innovation Clusters Ranking released by the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), the Shenzhen-Hong Kong-Guangzhou cluster jumped to the global top spot for the first time, while the Macao-Zhuhai cluster entered the global top 100 for the second consecutive year.

Demonstrating Innovation Strength: 817,000 Valid Invention Patents in the Bay Area in H1

As a catalyst for innovation and an accelerator for economic development, IP serves as a crucial pillar for high-quality development.

Data shows that as of June this year, the number of valid invention patents and valid registered trademarks authorized by SIPO in the GBA reached 817,000 and 8.524 million respectively, accounting for approximately 1/6 of the national total. In the first half of 2025, SIPO received 13,500 PCT international patent applications from innovation entities in the GBA, a year-on-year increase of over 30%, fully demonstrating the region's innovation strength and vitality.

Heng Fuguang emphasized that SIPO has focused on five key areas to support the GBA's high-quality development through IP:Strengthening policy guidance to build a pilot zone for comprehensive IP reform;Enhancing comprehensive protection to improve the soft power of a world-class business environment;Improving working mechanisms to foster a sound ecosystem for IP transformation and application;Optimizing public services to create a model window for in-depth cooperation between the mainland, Hong Kong, and Macao;Consolidating development foundations to build a hub for outstanding IP talents.

On October 28, the full text of the "Recommendations of the Communist Party of China Central Committee on Formulating the 15th Five-Year Plan for National Economic and Social Development" (hereinafter referred to as the "Recommendations") was released. The Recommendations made new and major arrangements for optimizing the regional economic layout, strengthening IP protection and application, expanding high-level opening-up, and promoting the long-term prosperity and stability of Hong Kong and Macao. It emphasized the need to consolidate and enhance the GBA's role as a driving force for high-quality development and support Hong Kong and Macao in better integrating into and serving the national development strategy.

"The IP system will actively promote high-quality IP creation, high-efficiency application, high-standard protection, high-quality services, and high-level cooperation in the GBA, facilitate the efficient aggregation and accelerated transformation of various innovation factors, and provide strong IP support for building a world-class bay area," Heng Fuguang said.

"Patents" Become "Dividends": IP Transformation and Application Ecosystem Takes Shape

Heng Fuguang noted that as of the end of June this year, the number of high-value invention patents per 10,000 people in Shenzhen, Zhuhai, and Guangzhou reached 116.9, 73.1, and 41.4 respectively, all far exceeding the national average.

Promoting the transformation and application of patents plays a vital role in fostering new quality productive forces and driving high-quality development.

"In recent years, focusing on the main line of 'patent industrialization,' Guangdong Province has strengthened policy guidance, emphasized market leadership, enhanced financial support, consolidated talent foundations, and built an ecosystem for patent transformation and application, achieving remarkable results," said Chen Xinlie, Director of the Guangdong Provincial Intellectual Property Office. Guangdong has continuously improved its policy system for patent transformation and application, issuing the "Implementation Plan for the Special Action on Patent Transformation and Application in Guangdong Province" and formulating supporting documents covering activating existing patents, promoting the growth of small and medium-sized enterprises through patent transformation, and strengthening industrial chains and enhancing efficiency in key sectors, with 28 specific measures proposed.

Meanwhile, Guangdong has actively built a market-oriented mechanism for transformation and application. It has promoted universities, research institutes, and leading enterprises to shift from "patented technologies seeking markets" to "market demand nurturing patents." Over 120,000 pieces of regional patent information and more than 1,100 pieces of technical demand information have been released, and thousands of patented technologies have been transformed through models such as "pay-after-use" and open licensing. From January to August this year, 1,413 patent open licensing transactions were completed in the province, accounting for 25.3% of the national total.

Zhao Junming, Party Secretary of the Guangzhou Municipal Intellectual Property Office, stated that in recent years, Guangzhou has taken the new round of comprehensive reform pilot in the Guangzhou Knowledge City as a key grasp for the city's IP work, continuously innovating work measures. It has promoted the Knowledge City to become not only a "pilot zone" for IP and a "strong engine" driving the GBA's industrial development but also a "bridgehead" connecting innovation resources and a "new highland" for world-class innovation clusters.

In terms of strengthening resource support and building a sound ecosystem for transformation and application, Cai Yingquan, Director of the Shenzhen Municipal Intellectual Property Office, said that Shenzhen has thoroughly implemented the special action on patent transformation and application, promoted IP-driven industrial chain enhancement in key sectors, and built a full-chain operation and service network covering transformation, financing, and securitization based on multiple national-level platforms. "Since the beginning of this year, the city has recorded 20,000 patent transfers and over 6,500 license transactions. Meanwhile, we are accelerating the construction of an integrated IP finance ecological pilot zone, with the cumulative registered amount of IP pledge financing exceeding 200 billion yuan, benefiting nearly 7,000 enterprises. This has truly realized the transformation of 'intellectual property' into 'assets' and 'patents' into 'dividends.'"

Building a Model Window for In-depth Cooperation Between the Mainland, Hong Kong, and Macao

During the "14th Five-Year Plan" period, the GBA comprehensively deepened reform and opening-up, promoted coordinated and integrated development, with its economic aggregate exceeding 14 trillion yuan. Solid progress has been made in building an international first-class bay area and a world-class urban cluster.

The continuous deepening of cooperation in the IP field is an important support for the GBA's inexhaustible driving force for innovation.

Taking turns to host IP seminars between the mainland, the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR), and the Macao Special Administrative Region (MSAR); supporting the organization of large-scale events such as the GBA IP Creation and Application Conference, the IP Trading Expo, and the Asian IP Business Forum; deploying 46 national-level public IP service institutions; and co-building 14 Technology and Innovation Support Centers (TISCs) with WIPO... Heng Fuguang introduced that in recent years, SIPO has continuously optimized public services and built a model window for in-depth cooperation between the mainland, Hong Kong, and Macao.

"With the support of SIPO, the IP authorities of the HKSAR and the mainland have made significant progress in developing cross-border IP protection facilitation measures and promoting professional IP services in recent years," said Tsang Chi-sum, Deputy Director of the Intellectual Property Department of the HKSAR Government. In supporting innovation, SIPO launched a pilot program in 2023, allowing Hong Kong applicants to request priority examination through the Guangzhou and Shenzhen Agency Offices when filing patent applications in the mainland. Starting from the end of June this year, Hong Kong innovation entities have further benefited from the rapid patent pre-examination service provided by the Shenzhen Intellectual Property Protection Center.

Tsang Chi-sum stated that both measures can effectively shorten the examination cycle for patents filed by Hong Kong entities in the mainland, accelerating the transformation and implementation of scientific research achievements of Hong Kong patent holders in the mainland, especially in the GBA.

Kwong Sun-cheong, Director of the Intellectual Property Department of the Economic and Technological Development Bureau of the MSAR Government, introduced that the bureau has been actively promoting the in-depth integration of IP with the regional innovation system. From three aspects—mechanism alignment, service enhancement, and talent empowerment—it has guided Macao's innovation entities, including universities, research institutions, and enterprises, to seize development opportunities in the GBA, integrate into the national development strategy, and contribute to the high-quality development of the GBA.