The Guangzhou Urban Innovation Index Report (2024) was recently released, an assessment that provides a comprehensive evaluation of innovation development that took place in the city in 2023.

In it, Tianhe district is said to have shown an outstanding performance in innovation, ranking second in the city in terms of the overall score.

Moreover, the district excelled in multiple areas. It topped the city in terms of the turnover in technology contracts – representing 29.85 percent of the city's total – and in fiscal expenditure on science and technology, with a remarkable year-on-year growth of 544.39 percent and comprising 6.19 percent of its general budget expenditure.

Vibrant and dynamic Tianhe lights up at night. [Photo/WeChat account: tianhefabu]

It also secured second position in the construction of innovation platforms and third spot in the output of patents.

In 2023, Tianhe recorded 19,298 patent authorizations, of which 9,438 were invention patents, showing a 29.6 percent year-on-year increase. Additionally, 20 patents were recognized in the 24th China Patent Award.

Tianhe is now home to 612,000 business enterprises, accounting for 26.3 percent of Guangzhou's total. It leads the city in the number of headquarters enterprises, enterprises above a designated size – those with annual revenue of 20 million yuan ($2.74 million) or more – and technology-oriented enterprises.

In October last year, the 2023 Guangdong Science and Technology Awards were announced, with Tianhe winning 84 awards, representing over half the city's total.