Leading the Way: Over 5 Million Valid Invention Patents Illuminate the Path of Innovation

The proposals for the 15th Five-Year Plan dedicate a chapter to "Accelerating High-Level Self-Reliance and Strength in Science and Technology, Leading the Development of New Quality Productive Forces," explicitly calling to "strengthen the protection and utilization of intellectual property rights." Data from the National Intellectual Property Administration shows that China has become the first country in the world to possess over 5 million valid domestic invention patents, with its PCT international patent applications ranking first globally for six consecutive years.

This innovation report card was hard-earned. During the 14th Five-Year Plan period, China's intellectual property shifted from "quantitative accumulation" to "qualitative improvement." High-caliber patents accelerated their landing, sketching a vivid picture of innovation-driven development and laying a solid foundation for accelerating high-level self-reliance and strength in science and technology during the 15th Five-Year Plan period.

Innovation is the primary driving force for development, and protecting intellectual property means protecting innovation. Over the past five years, policy guidance and market forces have worked in tandem: patent conversion and application campaigns were launched to inventory and revitalize存量 patents in universities and research institutions, while cultivating and promoting patent-intensive products; industry-academia-research-application collaboration mechanisms were established to bridge the "last mile" from the laboratory to the production line; and intellectual property protection was strengthened, giving innovators the confidence to invest and venture.

Patents empower industries across the board. From global leadership in 5G patents to the deep-space exploration of "Chang'e" and "Tianwen," from basic research patents in university labs to practical innovation achievements of small and micro-enterprises, high-value invention patents are becoming the "accelerator" for industrial upgrading and the "golden key" to improving people's livelihoods.

High-value invention patents are crucial for achieving high-quality development. As of June 2025, the number of high-value invention patents per 10,000 population in China had reached 15.3, surpassing the 14th Five-Year Plan target of 12 ahead of schedule. The technology transfer rate from universities and research institutions has steadily increased, and the industrialization rate of enterprise invention patents rose from 44.9% in 2020 to 53.3% in 2024, with more and more "dormant patents" being activated.

Behind this lies the dedication of researchers working on the front lines, the resolve of enterprises to increase R&D investment, and the inevitable result of a continuously optimized innovation ecosystem.

Standing at the critical juncture of reviewing the 14th Five-Year Plan and looking ahead to the 15th, China has set new goals: achieving rapid breakthroughs in key core technologies in critical fields, significantly increasing the number of areas where it is running abreast of or leading global trends, deeply integrating scientific and technological innovation with industrial innovation, and markedly enhancing the role of innovation-driven development.

The simultaneous rise in both the quantity and quality of patents is not only a testament to past endeavors but also solid groundwork for future progress. Scientific and technological innovation is now writing a splendid chapter of high-quality development in an even more vibrant manner.