Shenzhen-Hong Kong-Guangzhou Ranked the World's Top Innovation Cluster 2026

On 8 September 2026, the Top 100 Innovation Clusters 2026 were released by the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO). The ranking of Innovation clusters measures innovation of a region or city using three key metrics, namely, international patent filings, scientific publications, and venture capital deals.

The Shenzhen-Hong Kong-Guangzhou cluster (China), for the second consecutive year, topped the ranking, with 2,259 PCT filings, 4,060 scientific articles published, and 138 venture capital transactions, all per 1 million inhabitants, over the last five years. Ranking second to fifth were Tokyo–Yokohama (Japan), San Jose–San Francisco (the US), Beijing (China), and Seoul (Korea).

In terms of leading economies, China ranked number one globally (with 25 clusters) for the fourth consecutive year, and, together with the US (20 clusters), accounted for almost half of the world's top 100 innovation clusters.