Beijing ranks first nationwide in science and technology innovation, according to the China Regional Science and Technology Innovation Evaluation Report 2024, released at the 2024 Pujiang Innovation Forum recently. 

According to the index, Beijing took the top spot with a score of 89.45, followed by Shanghai and Guangdong. 

The report assessed the comprehensive innovation levels of 31 provinces, autonomous regions, and municipalities using 12 secondary and 44 tertiary indicators in five categories, including the science and technological innovation environment, input and output of science and technology activities, high-tech industrialization, and the contribution of science and technology to economic and social development. 

Leading innovation regions, with indices above the national average, include Beijing, Shanghai, Guangdong, Jiangsu, Tianjin, and Zhejiang.

Over the past decade, Zhongguancun companies from Beijing established over 10,000 branches in Tianjin and Hebei, and Beijing-based companies made a total investment of 2.3 trillion yuan (US$323.38 billion) in Tianjin and Hebei, driven by the integrated development of Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region. In the report, Beijing ranks first, Tianjin fifth, and Hebei has risen to 19th place.

The report highlights that China's regional innovation landscape is taking shape, with international innovation hubs like Beijing, Shanghai, and the Greater Bay Area, as well as regional innovation centers in Chengdu-Chongqing, Wuhan, and Xi'an.