The Haishu branch of the Ningbo Intellectual Property Exchange Service Center is inaugurated on April 22. [Photo/Ningbo Evening News]

The Ningbo Intellectual Property Exchange Service Center expanded its reach with the opening of a new branch in Haishu district on April 22. This marks the second center of its kind in Zhejiang and the first at the county level in the province.

On the opening day, a representative from a technology company in Haishu visited the center to apply for the fast-track patent examination service, designed to expedite the authorization process for select key invention patents.

The representative was amazed by the substantial reduction in the time required for patent authorization at the facility, which has been shortened from a lengthy 2 years to a mere 6 to 8 months.

Currently, the center provides a comprehensive suite of over 20 intellectual property-related services spanning five major categories - patent authorization, transaction conversion, industry-university-research cooperation, information consultation, and capacity training.

An official from the intellectual property division at the Haishu Market Supervision Bureau likened the center to a "patent supermarket", explaining that patent holders have the opportunity to list patents they wish to transfer, while potential buyers can freely peruse and select from the offerings available on the platform. The establishment of the center is expected to streamline and standardize the trading process, making it more efficient for all involved.