Chinese city Shanghai, Britain's Liverpool and Belgium's Charleroi were announced on October 12 by the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) as winners of the first WIPO City of Innovation award.

Launched for the first time in 2026, the WIPO City of Innovation award is open to cities across all 194 WIPO member states and is bestowed on visionary cities for their bold pledges to foster innovation and creativity over the coming year. The three winners were chosen from 15 finalist cities.

According to WIPO, Shanghai's vision is to strengthen its position as an international hub for science, technology and intellectual property (IP), while fostering a broader culture of innovation and creativity. Its pledges include expanding IP education and services, opening innovation infrastructure and data, supporting cultural and creative industries, and strengthening connections between research, industry, entrepreneurs and investors.

Zhou Yaming, Deputy Secretary-General of the Shanghai Municipal People's Government, said the award represents WIPO's strong recognition of Shanghai's innovative developments and its efforts in building a thriving IP ecosystem.

"It also reflects the international community's endorsement of China's commitment to open innovation, mutual benefits and shared success," He said.

Winners were selected by an independent international jury of high-profile experts in the cultural and creative sectors, urban planning, community development, and innovation-driven growth.

Andrea Dempster Chung, member of the International Jury Panel and Co-Founder & Executive Director for Kingston Creative, said Shanghai's application was extremely impressive, not just because of its strong research and development base that the city already had, but for the sheer scale of its ambitions and the strength of pledges.

"This would be pivotal in shifting the city's future and this is one of the reasons why Shanghai was selected," she said.