The National Intellectual Property Administration recently announced a list of counties (districts) to pilot its project to strengthen intellectual property development in China's counties (districts).

Dinghai district in Zhoushan, Zhejiang province was the only district in the city and one of only two in the province to make the list.

The project aims to boost regional development and increase overall regional competitiveness through IP development. 

Pilot counties (districts) will be granted policy and financial support from municipal, provincial and national authorities to enhance their IP development service systems and IP creation capabilities.

Dinghai district has been focusing on IP development in recent years, including the creation, application, management and protection of IP, and has achieved remarkable progress.

Statistics show that the district owned 1,350 valid invention patents as of the end of last year and surpassed the provincial average in terms of the number of such patents held for every 10,000 people, at nearly 28.