According to a recently released urban innovation index report for Guangzhou (2024), the number of high-tech enterprises has increased to 13,000, while science and technology-oriented small and medium-sized enterprises have risen to 21,000. Twenty-two companies from Guangzhou have been selected as global unicorn enterprises, placing the city first in the nation for growth in this category.

Additionally, the number of certified high-tech enterprises has exceeded 5,000 for the first time, and the growth of science and technology-oriented small and medium-sized enterprises ranks first in the country.

In 2023, Guangzhou's R&D expenditure accounted for 3.44% of its GDP. The number of disciplines ranked in the top 1% globally by ESI reached 136, with an average annual growth rate of 16.1% from 2020 to 2023.

Photo: Nanfang Plus

Total expenditure on basic research by society reached RMB 13.52 billion, with basic research accounting for 12.96% of R&D expenditure.

The number of provincial and higher-level science and technology innovation platforms reached 3,027, a year-on-year increase of 7.3%, including 123 national-level innovation platforms.

In terms of supporting industrial innovation, the report indicates that the ratio of R&D expenditure to operating revenue among Guangzhou's industrial enterprises above designated size was 1.83%, an increase of 0.24 percentage points from the previous year.

The added value of advanced manufacturing industries above designated size accounted for 60.54% of the total added value of industries above designated size, while the added value of strategic emerging industries represented 30.75% of the city's GDP.The volume of technology contract transactions reached RMB 255.082 billion, with an average annual growth rate of 4.2% compared to 2020. The number of invention patents per 10,000 permanent residents was 80.73, reflecting a year-on-year increase of 28.45%.

Regarding the commercialization of research outcomes, the report shows that Guangzhou has 63 national-level incubators and 34 provincial-level incubators.

In terms of fostering the innovation ecosystem, the report indicates that in 2023, Guangzhou had 62 highly cited scientists, with an average annual growth rate of 12.97% since 2020. By the end of the year, there were 231 domestic and overseas listed enterprises, an increase of four from 2022.

The report also calculated the innovation index for each district in Guangzhou based on 10 innovation indicators. Among them, Huangpu District maintained its top position in the city's comprehensive innovation level, with ongoing increases in innovation funding and human resource investment in recent years. Tianhe District and Nansha District followed closely behind.