SHENZHEN, Jan. 18 (Xinhua) -- Asia has steadily emerged as a global hub for research and development (R&D) and innovation, marked by a significant increase in both the number and quality of its science and technology innovation clusters, according to a report released on Friday.
The Boao Forum for Asia Innovation Report 2024 was jointly compiled by the Boao Forum for Asia Academy and Deloitte China.
The report revealed that in 2023, the top 100 science and technology clusters were predominantly concentrated in East Asia, Western Europe and North America. Among these, the Tokyo-Yokohama cluster in Japan stood out as the world's largest and top-performing science and technology hub.
In addition, according to the report, the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area cluster has gained increasing international recognition for its achievements in industrial technology innovation.
It also noted that East Asia led global patent applications, accounting for 62.6 percent of the world's total patent filings.
China ranked first globally in patent applications and grants, with 1.677 million applications and 920,800 grants in 2023. China, Japan, and the Republic of Korea held dominant positions in artificial intelligence and communication technologies patents. ■
