The number of invention patents that were approved in Shanxi province exceeded 5,000 for the first time in 2022, according to a press conference held by the Information Office of the Shanxi Provincial Government on April 20.

Last year, Shanxi saw 5,026 invention patents approved, indicating an increase of 28.4 percent over 2021. The number of effective invention patents in the province reached 23,235, up 19.3 percent year-on-year. Additionally, the number of high-value invention patents per 10,000 people in the province was two. 

The number of valid registered trademarks in the province was 342,608, an increase of 18.4 percent over 2021. The province also added 14 new geographic indication trademarks, bringing its total to 108. 

In regards to the 23rd China Patent Awards, Shanxi won the silver award for the first time. 

In 2022 alone, there were 124 provincial-level patent transformation projects that were specially funded. The funds amounted to 20.45 million yuan ($2.97 million), which is 3.9 times that of 2021. The province also registered 601 million yuan in intellectual property pledge loans, an increase of 36.6 percent over 2021. 

The Shanxi Intellectual Property Protection Center was completed and put into operation last year, with its work indicators in patent pre-examination ranking among the best in the country. Twelve sub-centers and 131 workstations for the intellectual property protection were also set up. 

Over the past year, the province investigated and handled 1,216 cases of intellectual property rights. It concluded 71 administrative rulings and performed administrative mediation for patent infringement disputes. 

This year, Shanxi will implement 14 projects, including the construction of an intellectual property protection system, a geographical indication protection project, and a high-value patent cultivation project, to further promote the construction of a province that is strong in intellectual property.