"There are only 426 companies owning valid patents. 9 of top 50 industrial companies even held no patent," said Director of Chongqing Municipal Intellectual Property Office Yuan Jie on  December 13th. He said Chongqing companies were not active in patent filing. It was thus particularly important for Chongqing to implement IP strategies.

According to latest statistics from Chongqing IPO, only 8.8% of 4,793 industrial enterprises above designated size hold patents, contributing inadequate efforts to economic growth. In 2011, patent products of industrial enterprises above designated size valued at 132.4 billion yuan, accounting for only 11% of the total.

Chongqing companies lag behind for about five years in IP system construction. "Among 426 companies holding valid patents, 51.8% are at a period of patent accumulation; only 1.8% can maturely manage and utilize patents," said Yuan Jie.

On how to "implement IPR strategies and strengthen IPR protection" raised in the Report of Hu Jintao to the 18th CPC, Yuan Jie said Chongqing was set to highlight innovation to improve the competitiveness of companies. As of 2015, it will build four to five national patent industrialization bases and see 300 IP strong companies. The output value of patent products in emerging industries will take up 60% of the total while that of traditional industries will account for 20%. The Office will provide patent pre-warning analysis and legal assistance for "out-going" companies through "Overseas IPR Escorting Action" so as to help them explore foreign markets. In 2015, the export volume of patent products will account for 50% of the total export of Chongqing.

(Source: IPR in China)