Patent industrialization of Chinese enterprises sees steady rise for 5 years running: official

The industrialization rate of invention patents held by Chinese enterprises has been steadily increasing for five consecutive years, China's top intellectual property (IP) regulator said on Wednesday.

Last year, both the total number and industrialization rate of invention patents held by Chinese enterprises saw a rise compared with the previous year, said Liang Xinxin, deputy director of the Strategic Planning Department of China National Intellectual Property Administration at a press conference.

"By the end of 2024, China's domestic enterprises had more than 3.5 million valid invention patents, accounting for 73.7 percent of the total number of domestic valid invention patents, an increase of 2.6 percentage points over the previous year. While enterprises are actively innovating, their transformation and application capabilities are also continuously improving. The survey shows that the industrialization rate of invention patents of Chinese enterprises has steadily increased for five consecutive years. In 2024, the industrialization rate of effective invention patents of Chinese enterprises was 53.3 percent, an increase of 2 percentage points over the previous year. Among them, the industrialization rates of invention patents of medium, small and micro enterprises reached 61.4 percent, 57.8 percent and 36.7 percent respectively, all of which were new highs in the 14th Five-Year Plan period (2021-2025)," Liang said.

Liang highlighted the sectors with particular high patent industrialization rate.

"In 2024, the industrialization rate of effective invention patents of national high-tech enterprises reached 61.2 percent, an increase of 3.6 percentage points over the previous year and 7.9 percentage points higher than the overall level of enterprises, effectively boosting the national patent industrialization rate. In terms of national economic industries, the three industries with the highest invention patent industrialization rates are electrical machinery and equipment manufacturing industry of 71.2 percent, special equipment manufacturing industry of 68.9 percent and general equipment manufacturing industry of 67.5 percent, all higher than the previous year," he noted.

Patent industrialization of Chinese enterprises sees steady rise for 5 years running: official

The opening ceremony of the Milano-Cortina 2026 Paralympic Winter Games will celebrate the spirit of inclusiveness and the core values of the Paralympic Games in the language of creative and tech-supported contemporary art, according to the ceremonies director.

The ceremony is scheduled to take place on Friday at the Verona Arena, a UNESCO World Heritage site, in Verona, Italy.

Centered on themes of inclusion, participation, and emotional connection, the ceremony aims to convey the spirit of the Paralympics to a global audience through artistic expression.

"Titled 'Life in Motion,' the ceremony tells the stories of a progressing society, which is empowered by sport to bring about change. We will present this theme in a way that is distinct from any other ceremony, namely through art, contemporary art in particular. Contemporary art always has the power to break down barriers. It will guide us in celebrating the athletes, the spirit of sport, and the core values of the Paralympic Games," said Maria Laura Iascone, ceremonies director for Milano-Cortina 2026.

The Milano-Cortina 2026 Paralympics hold historic significance as this year marks the 50th anniversary of the first Paralympic Winter Games and also sees the Games return to Italy for the second time, two decades after Torino 2006.

Opening ceremony of Milan-Cortina Winter Paralympics to feature contemporary art: director