The added value of China's patent-intensive industries was 16.87 trillion yuan (about 2.35 trillion U.S. dollars) in 2023, contributing 13.04 percent of the country's GDP, an increase of 0.44 percentage points from the previous year, the China National Intellectual Property Administration (CNIPA) said on Wednesday.
Speaking at a press conference, Liang Xinxin, deputy head of strategic planning department under the CNIPA, said that China has made remarkable achievements in fostering and expanding patent-intensive industries and their development is characterized by intensive investment in research and development and intensive patent output.
"First, these industries are distinguished by their high research and development investment. In 2023, the research and development intensity in these industries reached 2.6 percent, a 0.12 percentage point increase from the previous year, and was 2.2 times as much as that of non-patent-intensive industries. This indicates a significant concentration of innovation resources. Second, these industries show intensive patent output. Over the past five years, the number of invention patents authorized per 10,000 employees in China's patent-intensive industries has averaged 410, nearly 11 times as much as the national industrial average, reflecting a dense accumulation of innovation outcomes," he explained.
Liang also highlighted that China's patent-intensive industries also feature high labor productivity, high economic contribution, and a relatively high proportion of digital sectors.
"The first one is high labor productivity. The labor productivity of China's patent-intensive industries has reached 337,000 yuan (about 45,965 U.S. dollars) per person, which is 2.1 times that of non-patent-intensive industries. In 2023, the number of people employed in patent-intensive industries reached 50.812 million, an increase of 1.646 million compared to the previous year. The increase in labor productivity has also brought more employment opportunities. Second, their high economic contribution. The added value of China's patent-intensive industries has grown from 12 trillion yuan (around 1.64 trillion U.S. dollars) in 2020 to nearly 17 trillion yuan (roughly 2.32 trillion U.S. dollars), accounting for over 13 percent of the country's GDP, up 1.1 percentage points from the beginning of the 14th Five-Year Plan (2021-2025), and its contribution to economic growth has steadily improved. Third, a relatively high proportion of digital industries. Among the seven patent-intensive industries, the combined added value of the information and communication technology manufacturing and service industries reached 7.1 trillion yuan (about 968.4 billion U.S. dollars), accounting for over 40 percent of the added value of patent-intensive industries, injecting strong impetus into buildup of China's new advantage in digital economic development," he continued.
Liang also pointed out that next, the CNIPA will continue to strengthen the application and service of intellectual property rights, support the growth and expansion of patent-intensive industries, effectively transform the advantages of patent technologies into driving forces for innovative development, promote the creation of a modern industrial system, and contribute to the development of new quality productive forces.
China's patent-intensive sectors contribute 13 pct of GDP in 2023
