Patents create unique success in Xi'an's high-tech zone

Region consistently ranks in the upper tier of similar areas across China

As a national demonstration park for intellectual property, the Xi'an Hi-Tech Industries Development Zone in Shaanxi province has embarked on a unique road to pioneer IP protection and excel in commercialization of patent achievements as well as financial and technological innovation, local officials said.

The zone has always operated under an innovation-driven plan and optimized the system for IP management, creation, utilization, protection and services.

In 2019, the high-tech zone achieved a regional GDP of 210.27 billion yuan ($31.86 billion), up 12 percent year-on-year.

The zone accounted for 8.2 percent of Shaanxi's total GDP and 22.6 percent of Xi'an's total GDP. The zone applied for 40,000 patents. Of the applications, 17,000 were granted.

To date, the zone is home to 160,000 enterprises and has formed an industrial cluster of electronic information, semiconductors, software, new energy vehicles, biomedicine, modern finance and cultural creativity.

To further boost IP service industries, the zone has launched a development plan to encourage IP creation, protection, service and utilization.

It is committed to creating a national independent innovation demonstration zone and building an IP service model with its own characteristics.

Based on the core of IP application, creation and protection, the model is aiming to build a market-oriented service system, which will promote the overall improvement on IP work in the high-tech zone and provide strong support for the industrial development, transformation and upgrading.

Guo Xiaohui, deputy director of the zone's management committee, said the zone has taken innovation as a key driving force for development and has always been in the upper tier of the nation's high-tech zones.

"The high-tech zone will provide innovation and entrepreneurship services for each company that chooses to invest here based on its sound policy system and professional organizations," Guo said. The zone has launched a series of favorable policies to accelerate innovation-driven development.

It focuses on supporting the construction of the Silk Road science and technology talent capital market, as well as the cultivation of IP-intensive industries.

In 2019, the zone disbursed 30 million yuan in subsidies for IP policies to more than 500 companies.

The high-tech zone also introduced a rent reduction policy to attract outstanding service organizations involved in patents, trademarks, copyrights and new varieties of plants to form a complete industrial chain covering IP utilization, asset evaluation, research and development of software patent operations, legal assistance, publicity and training.

There are now 58 intellectual property service organizations in the zone's Silk Road science and technology talent capital.

Those organizations occupy a combined office area of over 10,000 square meters. Well-known service organizations such as Advance China IP Law Office, Lung Tin Intellectual Property Agent, and Hengcheng Intelligence Solutions have all settled there.

The zone is planning to build a core carrier for integrated development that combines IP protection, service, transfer and incubation centers, as well as research and training bases.

There are more than 100 registered IP service institutions in the zone, accounting for more than 80 percent of Xi'an.

Activities

The zone organizes the "Patent Search and Writing Skills Competition" for patent service agencies and inventors to attract talented people to show professional skills and experiences.

To enhance enterprises' core competitiveness in IP application, the high-tech zone organizes service agencies to select commissioners to provide custody services in the IP creation, use, protection and management.

A team of 90 people has offered public welfare services for maker spaces and related IP-intensive enterprises.