In 2011, patent applications in Shandong province reached 109,599, up 35.55%; patent grants amounted to 58,843, up 14.28%, both ranking fourth nationwide. Invention patent applications and grants increased by 48.46% and 42.62% respectively, both ranking sixth nationwide.　

Service patent applications and grants increased by 71.31% and 31.89%, accounting for 49.28% and 47.38% of the total applications and grants respectively. Universities and colleges and enterprises played a leading role in this regard. The former filed 8,477 patent applications, up 150.50%; obtained 3,704 patent grants, up 411.28%, of which, invention patent applications and grants were 2,726 and 961, up 47.27% and 60.17% respectively. Enterprises filed 42,696 patent applications and obtained 22,827 grants, up 61.63% and 129.39%, of which, invention patent applications and grants were 11,768 and 2,491, up 77.84% and 49.61%. More enterprises are realizing the importance of protecting innovations via patent system. In 2011, 5,936 enterprises filed patent applications, 1,641 more than that of 2010.

PCT patents reached 412, up 46.10% and ranking sixth. More enterprises attach importance to the utilization of IPR and join international competition.　

As of the end of 2011, Shandong had owned 15,685 valid invention patents, up 41.56% over 2010. Patents per million people increased to 163.74 from 115.67 in 2010.

(Source: IPR in China)