HAIKOU /China/, September 7. /TASS/. The Yazhou Bay Science and Technology City in Sanya, on the southern coast of China’s Hainan Island, has become an important center for intellectual property protection, Hainan Ribao reported.
According to the newspaper, from January to June, the number of technology contract transactions in the innovation hub increased more than fivefold on an annualized basis. This occurred against the backdrop of a noticeable increase in the number of patent registrations and new trademark applications.
Hainan Ribao noted that the science city administration is constantly striving to establish a comprehensive system that covers research and development, production, sales, technology exchange, and practical application. This is particularly true for seed production, as Sanya is known as the "Seed Silicon Valley."
To ensure the effective protection of intellectual property, Yazhou Bay Science and Technology City has a specialized center and support service. This allows the team of scientists who created a new plant variety to quickly apply for a patent. Work in this area is carried out on a "one-stop" basis, and factors that could slow down the registration process are eliminated.
Operational application of inventions in practice
Thanks to the Hainan Free Trade Port Intellectual Property Court, located in the science city, the time required for patent examination has decreased from 20 months to three months. Licensing new product varieties now takes 15 days instead of nine months, and external design takes several days instead of eight months. Overall, the speed of registration has increased by more than 80%.
In addition, the Yazhou Bay Science and Technology City has an agency for inspecting imported plants. It allows ownership rights to a new variety to be confirmed in just three working days, whereas previously it took a month. Initial registration of a new variety now takes three months instead of six.
According to the science city administration, the local intellectual property protection system is a catalyst for the development of new productive forces, ensuring high-quality development. It also allows for "the intensification of the practical application of scientific developments."
Located on the coast of the South China Sea, the Yazhou Bay Science and Technology City is one of the Hainan Free Trade Port's key innovative development projects. The area allocated for science-intensive enterprises and other infrastructure facilities exceeds 26 square kilometers. The science city is home to some of China's leading breeding laboratories and a deep-sea research center.