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The technology and innovation hub encompassing Shenzhen, Hong Kong, and Guangzhou has ascended to the top position in the latest global ranking of science and technology clusters, thanks to the inclusion of venture capital activity as a key metric. This adjustment has shifted the landscape of the list for this year.
This region moved up one place to lead the rankings, while the Tokyo-Yokohama area fell to second. San Jose and San Francisco experienced a significant jump, moving from sixth to third place.
The ranking process considered three main factors: applications for Patent Cooperation Treaty, the volume of scientific publications, and venture capital deals—the newest metric introduced this year.
“Innovation clusters are the vital foundations of robust national innovation systems, supporting the transition from groundbreaking ideas to viable markets,” a spokesperson explained. “Adding venture capital activity into our evaluation methodology helps us better identify which clusters truly convert research into economic growth.”
The recent boost in ranking for the Shenzhen-Hong Kong-Guangzhou cluster mainly results from its strong performance in venture capital investments compared to Tokyo-Yokohama.
China has a noteworthy presence with 24 clusters in the top 100, following the United States with 22, and Germany with seven. Alongside Shenzhen-Hong Kong-Guangzhou, Beijing and Shanghai-Suzhou are also in the top 10, securing fourth and sixth places, respectively. Hangzhou and Nanjing follow, ranked 13th and 15th.
In scientific publication output, Beijing ranks highest, contributing about 4% of the global total, with Shanghai-Suzhou close behind at 2.5%, and Shenzhen-Hong Kong-Guangzhou at 2.4%. For Patent Cooperation Treaty applications, Tokyo-Yokohama leads with 10.3%, followed by Shenzhen-Hong Kong-Guangzhou at 9%, and Seoul at 5.4%.
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