The National Intellectual Property Administration unveiled a list of key cities for the construction of an intellectual property (IP) operation service system in 2020. A total of 11 cities across China were included on the list.

Yantai is the only city in Shandong province to be included on the list and will receive 150 million yuan ($21.22 million) from the central government to be used to build an IP operation service system.

The move is meant to turn certain cities into models for how IP can promote regional economies and industrial innovation.

The Yantai government has recently put a lot of focus on intellectual property and hopes to turn it into a new major driver of growth.

The Yantai Intellectual Property Protection Center was completed and began operating in 2017, and nearly 15,000 new invention patents have been applied for since then.

By the end of 2018, the city had reformed its IP institutes, which contributed to the unified management of patents, trademarks, and geographical indication services.

In 2019, Yantai apples and Yantai wine were included on the list of China's top 10 regional brands for the fourth time in a row.

So far, 163 Yantai enterprises have received IP standard certification, and 15 national IP demonstration enterprises have been cultivated in the city, ranking first in the province.

Over the next three years, the city plans to ramp up efforts to establish a large-scale international integrated IP operation service system to further contribute to the development of IP operations nationwide.