Technicians monitor equipment at a busy workshop in Ningbo. [Photo/cnnb.com.cn]

The city of Ningbo – located in East China's Zhejiang province – saw a significant surge in the number of invention patents in 2024, underscoring its prowess as an innovation-driven city.

The city witnessed a hefty increase in authorized patents, with a total of 71,425 new patents granted – representing 11.41-percent year-on-year growth.

Particularly noteworthy was the 34.37-percent surge in granted invention patents, which reached 12,593.

Companies played a pivotal role in driving the innovation wave, with a whopping 44.29-percent year-on-year increase in their invention patent grants, accounting for 88.25 percent of the total grants.

Leading the pack in invention patent grants were companies like Ningbo Fotile Kitchenware Co, with 871 patents and academic institutions such as the Ningbo Institute of Materials Technology and Engineering at the Chinese Academy of Sciences.

The digital industry sector also shone brightly, with notable growth in invention patents for optical components, digital data processing and household appliances.

Ningbo's industrial clusters – including the high-end equipment and digital sectors – displayed robust growth in invention patent grants, with the city's PCT international patent applications reaching 683, reflecting a 5.4-percent year-on-year increase.

Moreover, efforts to reform the data intellectual property rights system are currently underway – as exemplified by Ningbo Fotile Marketing Co, which secured significant financing based on data intellectual property.