What Drives Zhejiang Enterprises' Global Rise?

Unitree Robotics, one of the six representative enterprises reshaping emerging industries in Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province, recently won the 2025 Global Award of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), becoming the only Chinese enterprise to receive this honor in 2025. Meanwhile, the video game Black Myth: Wukong, developed by Game Science Interactive Technology Co., Ltd. based in Hangzhou, has taken the world by storm. A wave of Zhejiang enterprises is unlocking global success by combining technological innovation with strong brand-building. But what exactly drives their global rise? A recent press briefing by the China National Intellectual Property Administration (CNIPA) shed light on the robust intellectual property (IP) support behind the rise of Zhejiang enterprises.

Cultivating a thriving innovation ecosystem

"The core reason why more Chinese medical devices are entering overseas markets is that our innovative products truly address clinical needs," said a spokesperson from Venus Medtech (Hangzhou) Inc. The company's independently developed artificial pulmonary valve, a high-value patented product, has pioneered a global expansion of Chinese pulmonary valves and is now available in over 30 countries, including the Republic of Korea (ROK) and South Africa.

Zhejiang is home to a wide range of innovative products that enjoy strong demand in global markets. The continuous surge of innovation vitality among enterprises is inseparable from the long-term nurturing of the province's rainforest-style innovation ecosystem. Zhejiang has taken concrete steps to rapidly foster new-quality productive forces, including establishing a tiered network for cultivating high-value patents across provincial, municipal, and county levels, and strengthening collaborative innovation between universities, research institutes, and enterprises. It has prioritized the allocation of patent pre-examination resources to private enterprises, launched initiatives to cultivate patent-intensive products, and adopted integrated strategies leveraging trademarks, copyrights, and other types of IP. By June 2025, Zhejiang had 451,000 valid invention patents and 4.916 million registered trademarks, both among the top in China.

Driving digital empowerment

In April 2025, a data service enterprise from Hangzhou signed China's first international data IP export agreement with an enterprise from the ROK. The deal covered a portfolio of seven data IP rights across three chemical material products, with a total value of about USD 141,200. This transaction marked a significant step in the cross-border circulation of China's data IP.

"As a major hub for the digital economy, Zhejiang is rich in data resources," said Xie Xiaoyun, Director of the Intellectual Property Office of Zhejiang Province, at the CNIPA press briefing. Since 2021, Zhejiang has leveraged a pilot program on data IP and built a comprehensive data IP ecosystem by establishing a registration system, creating an integrated service platform, and exploring pathways for commercialization and application. This has fostered a range of application scenarios spanning fields such as artificial intelligence and traditional culture. For instance, Hangzhou has set up an IP protection center and a patent service station targeted at digital industry, expediting large-scale pre-examinations of related invention patent applications. These efforts enabled Alipay to secure a bundled portfolio of high-value patents for its next-generation digital payment solution "Alipay Tap," supporting its market expansion across more than 400 cities worldwide with over 100 million users.

Forging new pathways for common prosperity

At a themed event to celebrate the harvest of Changshan Pomelo and boost rural prosperity held last November in Changshan County, Quzhou, newly signed overseas orders reached 150 million yuan. While Zhejiang's Geographical Indication (GI) products such as Changshan Pomelo and Wencheng Waxberry received high praise from international buyers, foreign GI products also gained protection here. Lishui's Qingtian County has taken Spain's Rioja wine as a pilot case to actively explore the integration of GI products from the European Union (EU) into China's protection system under the China-EU agreement on GI protection and cooperation, promoting bilateral trade between China and the EU.

In recent years, Zhejiang has conducted an integrated reform centered on GIs to open new pathways for industrial development and rural prosperity. According to Xie, Zhejiang has cultivated 350 GI industry clusters with an annual output value exceeding 100 billion yuan, helping 130,000 farming households increase their incomes and achieve wealth. It has also vigorously promoted the development of regional brands, with the "Lishui Shangeng" public brand consistently topping China's rankings for regional agricultural brand influence. Meanwhile, Zhejiang has actively organized GI enterprises to participate in international exhibitions and enter cross-border e-commerce platforms, further enhancing the global influence of its GI products.

Opening wider to global engagement

In October 2024, IP officials from embassies and consulates of eight countries including Austria, Japan, and the United States visited Zhejiang to gain firsthand insight into its IP protection practices. The face-to-face exchanges left a deep impression on Naoto Kagoshima, Deputy Director of the Intellectual Property Rights Department at the Beijing Office of Japan External Trade Organization (JETRO). "We are pleased to have the opportunity for in-depth communication with Chinese local governments. We have seen Zhejiang's substantial efforts in IP protection as well as many innovative approaches to solve challenges," he said. Beyond visits, Zhejiang actively supports the hosting of international cooperation and exchange events including the International Association for the Protection of Intellectual Property (AIPPI) World Congress, further enhancing its global appeal through an open environment.

According to the latest data from Hangzhou Customs, in the first half of 2025, Zhejiang's foreign trade exports surpassed 2 trillion yuan for the first time, contributing 19.8% to the nation's export growth, which showcased its resilience in global trade. To ensure enterprises go global with confidence, Zhejiang has improved its early-warning, monitoring, and response mechanisms for overseas IP disputes and established nine sub-centers for overseas IP dispute response guidance and 19 overseas offices. Last year, these institutions achieved 100% guidance coverage for key cases, helping enterprises recover losses exceeding 400 million yuan and enabling more enterprises to expand their brands globally and access international markets. (Source from China IP News)