World Intellectual Property Organization based rankings on international patent filings, scientific publications and venture capital deals
A portion of China’s Greater Bay Area has been named the world’s largest innovation cluster, underscoring Beijing’s drive for technological self-reliance at a time of rising geopolitical uncertainties with the United States.
The Shenzhen-Hong Kong-Guangzhou technology hub – the heart of the bay area plan – has overtaken Tokyo-Yokohama to become the world’s largest innovation cluster, according to the World Intellectual Property Organisation’s (WIPO) 2025 Global Innovation Index released on Monday.
It marks the first time the region has topped the global ranking after holding the No 2 spot for five consecutive years. Further down the list, the San Jose-San Francisco cluster jumped three spots to third place, followed by Beijing in fourth, then Seoul, Shanghai–Suzhou and New York City.
The Macau-Zhuhai cluster, another part of the area, made the world’s top 100 for the second year running, highlighting the development plan’s global influence in technological innovation.
