Commercialization of Patents by China

A recent Nature report (April 28, 2026) highlights China’s aggressive strategy to bridge the gap between research and industry. WIPO statistics underscore this dominance: China holds 5 million of the world’s 18.6 million active patents, outpacing the U.S. (3.5 million) and Japan (2.1 million), while India remains a distant follower.

Quantity, however, is not a direct proxy for utility. Since patents require public disclosure and offer only a 20-year window of protection, trade secrets are often a preferred alternative for preserving competitive advantages. Yet, patent volume remains a credible barometer for a country’s technological “bench strength”—its capacity to innovate and re-engineer products more cost-effectively. From this perspective, China’s vast patent reserves signal its potential to redefine the global center of innovation.

Towards this goal, China began a comprehensive screening of over 1.3 million patents held by universities and research institutions nationwide in 2023. The objective of this screening was to identify the commercialization prospects of each patent. This screening identified approximately 68,000 patents with the potential to become successful market products. At a press conference, the deputy commissioner of the China National Intellectual Property Administration informed the public that, by the end of 2025, the rate of patent commercialization had reached 10.1 percent for universities and 17.2 percent for research institutes.

This initiative demonstrates that the current Chinese leadership has moved beyond rigid ideological dogmatism regarding state-controlled power. Simultaneously, the leadership maintains a pragmatic distance from the “intellectual allure” of the Western market economy. By navigating between these two poles, China is attempting to forge a unique developmental path that discards prevailing global economic orthodoxies. The success of this hybrid model—balancing state oversight with aggressive commercial innovation—will be of immense significance to the global economic order.

Patents in Force-2024:   World Intellectual Property Indicators 2025

Mohana Basu:  China’s latest push to commercialize research: match 680,000 innovators with companies: Nature News 28 April 2026

Xinhua Editor: huaxia : China completes patent screening at universities, research institutions to enhance commercialization

:   World Intellectual Property Indicators 2025