Shanghai's efforts to accelerate patent approvals are starting to show results, with the city cutting the average authorization period for invention patents to just three months – down from the two to three years required under the traditional process.

Between January and July this year, the Shanghai Intellectual Property Protection Center received 6,947 pre-examination cases, accepted 6,449 and deemed 4,911 qualified, according to figures released by the center.

Since its launch in 2023, the center has processed more than 13,700 applications, sending over 10,000 patents into the national intellectual property office's "green channel" for accelerated review.

"Our mission is service-oriented – to help Shanghai's innovators protect their ideas efficiently," said Ying Ying, director of the center's Pre-Examination Services Division I. "More than 90 percent of our 4,000 registered users are private small- and medium-sized enterprises, and as long as they have genuine R&D and a basic IP management system, they can benefit from our fast-track review."

The center was established to strengthen protection in strategic industries such as new materials and energy conservation, offering what officials describe as a "one-stop" system for rapid pre-examination, confirmation and enforcement.

It also hosts a specialized mediation committee for civil IP disputes and provides guidance for companies facing overseas litigation, reflecting Shanghai's ambition to position itself as a global leader in IP protection.

"The pre-examination service solves the problem of protecting innovations in industries where technology iterations are fast and market windows are short," according to Wang Lu, head of intellectual property at Humanoid Robotics (Shanghai) Co.

"Through the online filing channel, we completed the entire process in just seven working days, and one of our invention patents was authorized in a single month. That speed allows us to secure legal protection for core technologies before competitors can catch up."

Humanoid Robotics has filed close to 90 patents covering hardware, algorithms and software. Of these, 30 went through the Shanghai fast-track channel and 23 have already been granted. "These patents are not only proof of our technical leadership," Wang noted, "but also a direct result of the center's service, which helps translate our technical edge into market competitiveness."

Other companies in emerging sectors are seeing similar benefits.

Xing Yiwei, intellectual property director at EV maker Shanghai Tongyu Automotive Technology, said the average patent approval time for the firm has been reduced to three to six months, minimizing the risk of losing a first-mover advantage in the fast-changing new energy vehicle market. Faster approvals also encourage engineers to innovate more aggressively, he added.

"By offering not only pre-examination but also guidance on patent layout and enforcement, we aim to provide all-round protection for companies whose innovations are of strategic significance to Shanghai and to the nation," Ying explained.

Shanghai is now moving to expand the system. In addition to the municipal protection center and the Pudong New Area branch, six more regional branches are being set up in the Lingang Special Area, and Huangpu, Jing'an, Putuo, Yangpu and Songjiang districts.

The city has also launched industry-specific IP protection committees in integrated circuits, artificial intelligence and biopharma, aiming to ensure that legal protections keep pace with industrial priorities.