(Yicai) Sept. 22 -- Shanghai has surpassed Beijing to rank first among China's 31 provincial-level regions for innovation in science and technology, according to a new report by a think tank of the Ministry of Science and Technology.

Shanghai ranks first nationwide in overall sci-tech innovation this year, followed by Beijing, the provinces of Jiangsu, Guangdong, Zhejiang, and the city of Tianjin, per the report published by the Chinese Academy of Science and Technology for Development at the Pujiang Innovation Forum yesterday.

The think tank assessed China's provincial-level regions across five dimensions: innovation environment, innovation input, innovation output, high-techs industrialization, and promotion of social and economic development.

The country’s overall score rose to 80.2 points this year from 78.4 points last year, according to the report. Innovation input and output and high-tech industrialization continued to grow, effectively driving socioeconomic development.

Shanghai ranked first for labor productivity, economic openness, and tech exports, while Beijing was first for innovation environment and the intensity of spending on research and development.

Guangdong ranked first by innovation-driven development, second by innovation input, and fourth by innovation output. Local enterprises demonstrated robust innovation momentum, having the most intense R&D spending among listed firms and the highest exports of intellectual property royalties per CNY100 million (USD14.1 million) of gross domestic product.

The top six all exceeded the national average, forming China's top-tier. Hubei province, Chongqing, and 20 other regions were deemed second-tier players as they scored below the average but above 50.

Hubei climbed one position to seventh. Chongqing, which ranked eighth, excels in high-tech industrialization, holding the top spot in this category.

The third tier consists of Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, Qinghai province, and Xizang Autonomous Region, the only three regions scoring below 50. There were six third-tier provinces last year and 10 in 2023.

The Yangtze River Delta region, headed up by Shanghai, has become a major competitive domain in terms of sci-tech innovation, with 10 national innovation demonstration zones. The tech innovation level of all of the delta’s 11 provincial-level regions is improving.

The innovation environment in the Yellow River Basin is also improving, with sci-tech innovation providing strong support for regional development strategies.

Editor: Futura Costaglione