The Global Innovation Index 2022 released by the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) suggested that China currently has 21 top science and technology clusters, ranking first for the first time in the world and tied with the United States.
Wuhan ranked 16th in the global science and technology cluster assessment, with its ranking continuing to rise over the past five years. The city ranked sixth in the Chinese science and technology cluster ranking, following the Shenzhen-Hong Kong-Guangzhou cluster, Beijing cluster, Shanghai-Suzhou cluster, Nanjing cluster and Hangzhou cluster.
The Report of the Global Innovation Index, which has been issued 15 times since 2007, is considered a key barometer of the world's economy and innovation, and an important reference for economic decision makers throughout the world.
Among the world's top five science and technology clusters, four are based in East Asia, including the Shenzhen-Hong Kong-Guangzhou cluster in China.
The Global Innovation Index consists of about 80 specific indicators that evaluate economies' political environments, education, infrastructure and intellectual contributions.
The evaluation of the science and technology cluster is mainly based on the number of approved international patents through the Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT) and scientific publications.
In 2021, the East Lake High-tech Development Zone (also known as Optics Valley of China) boasted 31,260 approved patents, including 11,596 invention patents. In addition, the valley had 1,385 PCT applications, accounting for more than 80 percent of Wuhan's total.