The State Intellectual Property Office announced the winners of 2013 China Gold Patent Awards on Monday with 20 invention patents and five industrial designs honored.

Out of some 800 entries, a record-high number for the annual event, the award-winning patents ranged from breakthroughs in telecommunications, materials and pharmaceuticals to machinery, mining and aerospace. They generated 109.5 billion yuan ($18 billion) in combined sales by the end of 2012.

The inventions are "prime examples of efforts in IP creation, protection, use and management against the backdrop of further implementation of a national IP strategy in China", said SIPO commissioner Tian Lipu.

The national IP strategy inspires confidence and enthusiasm from Chinese entrepreneurs in proprietary innovation, he said.

Jiang Yang, vice-president of Tencent, said at the awards ceremony that tech innovation is providing a sustainable boost to companies amid globalization and Tencent, as a tech-driven Internet company, has filed more than 10,000 patents around the world.

The nation's highest honor in Chinese patents, the awards foster an innovation-friendly climate, she said.

Wang Zhihao, vice-president of Hisense Kelon Electronical Holding Co, which won the prize for its air conditioner design, said home appliance customers also value product designs when making purchase decisions.

Part of Hisense's core competitiveness is its industrial design center that has won international acclaim in the industry. It has applied for nearly 300 patents worldwide, "showcasing Chinese companies' strength as an innovation powerhouse", Wang said.

World Intellectual Property Organization Director Francis Gurry said that China is expected to move into third place in the number of applications filed under the Patent Cooperation Treaty this year.

- Wang Xin

(China Daily 11/13/2013 page17)