The China (Quanzhou) Intellectual Property (IP) Protection Center was recently given formal approval by the National Intellectual Property Administration, making it the first national-level IP protection center in East China's Fujian province.

The center will focus on the smart manufacturing industry and the semiconductor industry, and establish an industrial IP protection mechanism by examination and approval, administrative enforcement, rights protection assistance, arbitration mediation, and judicial linkage.

In the future, the invention patent examination cycle will be shortened from 22 months to three to five months, the utility model patent will be shortened from eight months to one month, and the design patent will be shortened from three to four months to less than 10 days.

Currently, Quanzhou is accelerating the development of high-tech and strategic emerging industries such as high-end manufacturing and semiconductors.

In 2019, the added value of Quanzhou's machinery and equipment industry amounted to 54.31 billion yuan ($7.67 billion), a year-on-year increase of 5.7 percent; the added value of the new generation information technology industry reached 12.66 billion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 29.7 percent.

The IP protection center is of great significance in terms of the transformation and upgrading of Quanzhou’s traditional manufacturing industry to smart and high-end industries.

It is also conducive to attracting industry investment and introducing talents, creating a good environment for innovation, entrepreneurship and business.