Jiangsu topped mainland provinces and municipalities with nearly 200,000 patents granted and more than 348,000 patent applications filed in 2011, according to the provincial intellectual property office.

Companies were the driving force with nearly 60 percent of the patents granted in the province last year.

The figures show an increasing awareness of intellectual property in Jiangsu's industrial and commercial sectors, local officials said.

With one of the most advanced economies in the country, Jiangsu generated nearly $540 billion in foreign trade last year, a record high for the province.

Its investment from overseas has ranked at the top of the nation for eight consecutive years.

The opening-up has added weight to intellectual property issues facing both local governments and industries.

More than 15,800 companies in the province filed patent applications last year, an increase of 57.3 percent over 2010.

The number of companies that each had at least 100 patent filings grew to 405 from 20 in 2006.

Some 1,800 companies in the province now have databases to analyze technologies and search for patent information before starting R&D, a process that helps avert both infringement and duplicate research.

Among those using an intellectual property database is textile maker Aike Technology. Through analyzing patent information, the company located and engaged top experts in the industry.

It was also able to search the patents of its competitors to lessen vulnerability to lawsuits or other sanctions arising from its own products.

The high importance Aike places on intellectual property has drawn attention from abroad. It is now the only Chinese partner of Dale of Norway, a well-established textile company in Europe.

Patents are also helping local companies expand abroad.

Nikang Co based in the provincial capital Nanjing specializes in railway vehicle door systems. It patented a subway door system in 2008.

The company has applied for patents in 10 countries and regions including the European Union, the United States and Japan. To date, three countries granted the patent.

The system is widely used in Beijing, Shanghai and Shenzhen, accounting for about half of the domestic market, and has been ordered for overseas use.

Goodbaby Group, another Jiangsu company, has expanded its overseas distribution network through cooperation on intellectual property.

Goodbaby usually shares its invention and utility patents, while its overseas partners contribute design patents, according to the company.

The approach binds them together in an extensive intellectual property protection network, a company executive said.

Overseas exhibitions are another arena that attracts attention from not only buyers, but also competitors that raise intellectual property disputes.

An example of preparation that paid off is Suzhou Torin Drive Equipment Co, which received a patent infringement complaint from Ingersoll Rand in the US as it showed its latest products at a Hannover Industry Fair in 2011.

Torin Drive's representatives provided records and analysis reports on the spot, noting the difference in products. The evidence forestalled a potential overseas legal dispute.

"Intellectual property is a key factor in enhancing proprietary innovation and an effective means of competing for the pinnacle of future development," said Xu Nanping, assistant to the Jiangsu governor.

"It is crucial to accelerating a change in the model of development, building a sustainable, competitive advantage and maintaining steady economic growth," Xu said.

Provincial authorities formulated local intellectual property management regulations on companies in 2008 to encourage innovation, the first in the nation, and held a series of invention awards.

Eight intellectual property centers in the province have trained about 15,000 people over the past five years.

Local authorities also mounted crackdowns on intellectual property infringement.

Jiangsu is also among leading provinces in other aspects of intellectual property including trademarks, copyrights, software and new varieties of plants, according to local officials.

songwenwei@chinadaily.com.cn