The China National Intellectual Property Administration (CNIPA) recently released the Statistical Report on the Intellectual Property Service Industry Nationwide 2024, highlighting significant growth in the sector.

According to the report, China's intellectual property service industry saw steady growth in 2023, adding new business models and improved service structures.

Growth in Service Providers

By the end of 2023, the number of IP service institutions reached approximately 89,000, a 2.9 percent increase from the previous year. This includes 5,269 patent agencies and 35,712 trademark agencies, alongside numerous legal, operational, information, and consulting service providers.

Revenue and Employment

The industry's total revenue was about 285 billion yuan ($40.33 billion) in 2023, up 5.6 percent. Patent agencies alone generated 46.26 billion yuan. The industry employed approximately 984,000 people, a 1.5 percent increase, with a significant portion of new hires being recent graduates aged 25 to 30. The workforce remains highly educated, with 71.5 percent holding a bachelor's degree or higher.

Service Optimization

The geographic coverage of IP services improved in 2023, with institutions now covering all provinces and 89.6 percent of prefecture-level areas. About 64.9 percent of institutions offered two or more types of IP services, and 13.4 percent provided three or more. Large institutions offered integrated solutions, while smaller ones focused on niche markets.

Enhanced Capabilities and Innovation Support

Digitalization efforts advanced over the course of 2023, with 29.3 percent of institutions undergoing digital transformation. The industry demonstrated increasing support for innovation, with patent agencies handling 90.6 percent of domestic patent applications. The IP service sector played an increasingly important role in transforming technological achievements into productive forces, aiding both domestic and international market expansion.