The 14th China International Patent Technology and Product Fair (hereinafter referred to as the "Patent Fair"), themed "Patent Commercialization and Application: Empowering Innovative Development," was held in Dalian from October 13 to 15. A total of 317 exhibitors from 14 countries and regions including China, the United States, Japan, and South Korea gathered to celebrate this innovation event.
As a key window to observe China's innovation vitality and industrial transformation, this year's Patent Fair not only showcased new breakthroughs in "cutting-edge technology" but also presented a vivid picture of China's patent cause transitioning from "quantitative accumulation" to "qualitative leap."
In his opening speech, Shen Changyu, Commissioner of the China National Intellectual Property Administration (CNIPA), stated that in recent years, CNIPA has thoroughly implemented the innovation-driven development strategy, vigorously promoted the commercialization and application of patents, and actively served high-quality development. Since the State Council launched the Special Action for Patent Commercialization and Application in 2023, CNIPA has collaborated with 21 central departments to introduce a series of policies and measures covering industrial innovation, achievement transformation, and financial empowerment, striving to address key difficulties and blockages in patent commercialization and application with remarkable results. By the end of August this year, the cumulative number of patent transfer and licensing registrations nationwide had reached 1.154 million, including 142,000 transfers and licenses from universities and research institutions. The industrialization rate of invention patents in enterprises stood at 53.3%, all showing a sound development momentum.
"We are carefully summarizing the successful experience of the three-year special action to further promote the institutionalization, regularization, and long-term effectiveness of patent commercialization and application," said Shen Changyu.
Behind the series of data lies the reality that innovative achievements are constantly moving out of laboratories and onto production lines. The three-year special action has transformed more "dormant patents" into "marketable products."
At the exhibition site, sparks of innovation shone brightly across various pavilions.
In the Key Industries and Patent Technology Pavilion, the Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, presented the "Intelligent Chemical Industry Large Model"—China's first industry-level intelligent R&D platform in the chemical field. A relevant person in charge of the booth introduced: "Traditional development of new chemical technologies relies on step-by-step scaling-up, which involves huge investment and long cycles, becoming a key bottleneck restricting industrial innovation. To break through this predicament, we have achieved disruptive R&D from 'laboratory to factory in one step' through the chemical large model and virtual factories. Intelligent technologies can also empower process optimization, intelligent scheduling, and industrial planning."
Shanghai Zhiyuan Xinchuang's "Yuanzheng A2" full-size humanoid robot and "Omnihand O12" dexterous hand demonstrated the perfect integration of artificial intelligence and mechanical control; Shanghai MicroPort Medical's Tumai laparoscopic surgical robot showcased sophisticated innovation in the medical device field... In the High-end Manufacturing Pavilion, various cutting-edge technological products highlighted the driving role of technological innovation in manufacturing upgrading. The in-depth integration of AI, IoT, and other technologies has made intelligent manufacturing an inevitable trend in the global manufacturing transformation.
Du Hualong, a doctoral supervisor from the Shenyang Institute of Automation, told reporters that the "Ultrasonic Scanning Microscope Prototype System" developed by his team can achieve rapid non-destructive testing of internal material defects through high-frequency ultrasonic waves. "At present, such high-end equipment mainly relies on imports. We have independently developed multi-channel ultrasonic transmitters and receivers, with key technical indicators approaching the international advanced level. We will gradually realize the localization replacement of core components in the future," he said.
The Patent Fair is not only a "showcase" for innovative achievements but also an "incubator" for industry-university-research collaboration. In the Special Action Achievement Pavilion, a number of representative achievements were exhibited, such as robots from Yushu Technology and AI+AR smart glasses from Lingban Technology. Behind them are vivid practices of patent technologies truly taking root in industrial and value chains. Yushu Technology has effectively addressed the high-cost bottleneck through independently developed high-torque-density motors, enabling quadruped robots to move efficiently in complex terrains; Lingban Technology's smart glasses have been widely applied in industrial operation and maintenance and remote collaboration scenarios, significantly improving work efficiency and safety.
Local governments are also accelerating the release of patent innovation vitality. It is understood that in recent years, Liaoning Province has focused on the key tasks of the Three-Year Action Plan for Comprehensive Revitalization and New Breakthroughs, continuously nurturing and expanding new quality productive forces. Through joint efforts between Liaoning Province and CNIPA, the construction of Liaoning as a strong intellectual property province has reached a new level. Both Shenyang and Dalian have been approved to build national intellectual property protection highlands. Since the implementation of the special action, the annual growth rate of patent transfers in the province has exceeded 35%, and the output value of patent-intensive products registered with CNIPA has exceeded 17 billion yuan, with sustained vitality in innovation and creation.
Innovative China has also attracted global attention. Antonio Campinos, President of the European Patent Office (EPO), introduced that in 2024, the EPO received 200,000 patent applications, of which applications from Chinese applicants accounted for more than 10%, making China the fourth-largest source of applications. Since 2018, the number of Chinese patent applications has more than doubled, and quadrupled since 2014. Applications for battery-related technologies have shown particularly strong growth, increasing by 79% last year. Applications in digital communication and computer technology have also grown rapidly. "This reflects China's growing innovation capacity and the trust of Chinese inventors in the quality of the EPO," he said.
In the China Patent Gold Award Pavilion of this year's Patent Fair, 30 Patent Gold Awards and 10 Design Gold Awards were displayed. The world's first 1,000-ton class transport and erection integrated machine "Kunlun" developed by China Railway No.5 Engineering Bureau has filled the global gap in similar equipment. It has been promoted and applied on multiple high-speed railway lines such as Fuxia and Shenbai, providing solid support for the construction of high-speed railways with a design speed of 400 km/h.
It is reported that since 2002, the Patent Fair has attracted more than 10,000 participating units, over 1 million participants, and more than 100,000 patented projects and products, with a total transaction volume exceeding 10 billion yuan. It has become an important platform for the exchange of innovative achievements and economic and trade cooperation among various industries at home and abroad.
From national policies to scientific research breakthroughs, from the international stage to local practices, patents are moving from "bookshelves" to "shelves" and from laboratories to production lines, injecting a steady stream of innovative momentum into China's high-quality development.