A night view of Shushan district in Hefei, capital of Anhui province. [Photo provided to China Daily]

Hefei ranked 9th on the list of national innovative cities in 2021, according to a report recently released by the Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China.

The report evaluated innovation capacity of the cities based on 30 indicators such as innovative infrastructure, technological and educational resources as well as spending on research.

The top 10 performers were Shenzhen, Hangzhou, Guangzhou, Nanjing, Suzhou, Wuhan, Xi'an, Changsha, Hefei and Qingdao.

Hefei has been stepping up its efforts in recent years to improve its capability for scientific and technological innovation. It spends more than 10 percent of its general public budget on research and technology, which is a high percentage among Chinese cities. In 2021, the city made significant contributions to key advancements in China's science and technology sectors.