Chinese cities post strong performance in 2025 global innovation index

Chinese cities are continuing to bolster their reputation for innovation, with Beijing, the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA) and Shanghai ranking among the world's top 10 in the Global Innovation Hubs Index 2025 (GIHI2025), which was released at Tsinghua University on Sunday.

Jointly compiled by the university's Center for Industrial Development and Environmental Governance, and Nature Research Intelligence, the GIHI2025 evaluates 113 innovation hub candidates and 12 mini-hubs across three dimensions: Research Innovation, Innovation Economy and Innovation Ecosystem.

A total of 21 Chinese cities or metropolitan areas made it into the global top 100, with 14 of these moving up in the rankings compared to last year.

Beijing ranks third globally and tops the Research Innovation dimension for the first time. The GBA came in at fourth overall and rises to second worldwide in Innovation Economy, behind only San Francisco–San Jose. Shanghai ranks 10th overall and moves up to ninth in Innovation Economy, up 6 places from 2023.

Other cities also demonstrated strong upward momentum in research capacity. Nanjing enters the global top 10 in Research Innovation, while Wuhan ranks 16th in what has been a steady climb for the city over the last three years. In Innovation Economy, Hangzhou ranks 15th, making it into the top 20 globally for the first time.

Beyond the overall rankings, China is emerging as a key player in two high-profile frontiers — quantum science and technology, and controlled nuclear fusion.

In the quantum physics field, relying on its universities and research institutions, in 2020, China became the country with the highest number of published papers globally, while in 2024, Beijing accumulated the highest number of papers among all cities worldwide.

Chinese cities/metropolitan areas are also powerhouses in controlled nuclear fusion innovation. Among the top 20 cities/metropolitan areas in terms of the number of valid invention patents in this field, 12 cities/metropolitan areas are from China. Cities like Hefei and Chengdu take the lead through their major scientific facilities and technological accumulation.

The GIHI has been released globally for six years running. By tracking the latest trends in global innovation development, it aims to provide a reference for public policymakers and innovation practitioners.

Wu Xinxin contributed to this story.