Guo Zhi Ban Han Ban Zi [2026] No. 610

To the intellectual property offices of all provinces, autonomous regions, municipalities directly under the Central Government and the Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps, and the relevant local centres:

In order to implement the requirements of the Outline for Building a Powerful Intellectual Property Country (2021–2035), further promote the effectiveness of intellectual property public services, continue to promote learning through competition and the integration of competition and training, and strengthen the training of intellectual property information service talents, the China National Intellectual Property Administration is holding the 2026 Intellectual Property Public Service Information Search and Analysis Skills Competition (hereinafter referred to as the Competition). The relevant matters are hereby notified as follows.

I. Theme of the Competition

Stimulating the vitality of data, empowering innovation and development.

II. Objectives of the Competition

The Competition takes public welfare as its basic principle and upholds the concepts of fairness and impartiality, aiming to achieve the following objectives through the event:

(1) Consolidating the talent base: improving the ability of the general public to search, analyse and use intellectual property information, and laying a solid foundation for the development of intellectual property public services.

(2) Boosting capacity building: strengthening support for patent analysis, navigation and the transformation of achievements, assisting scientific, technological and industrial innovation, and improving the quality and efficiency of intellectual property public services.

(3) Building a service brand: establishing a cross-regional and cross-institutional platform for skills exchange, expanding the influence of the event, and enhancing the effectiveness of whole-chain intellectual property services.

III. Format of the Competition

The Competition consists of a Professional Group and a Public Group.

(1) Professional Group: questions are designed around national strategic industries, emerging industries and future industries, and are set separately for the three technical fields of machinery, electronics, and chemicals and pharmaceuticals, focusing on examining the comprehensive application abilities of staff of intellectual property public service institutions in patent mining, professional searching, information analysis and risk assessment.

(2) Public Group: online answering for the Public Group is carried out in the form of an online knowledge quiz. Questions are set in combination with practical application scenarios, focusing on examining the general intellectual property knowledge and basic search and analysis abilities of intellectual property staff of enterprises and public institutions, university teachers and students, and others.

IV. Eligible Participants

The Competition is an individual competition, with a strict recusal system: staff of the organisations organising and supporting the event shall not participate or receive awards. Participants must sign a participation commitment letter (see Annex 1).

Participants in the Professional Group shall be staff of intellectual property public service institutions, excluding staff specialising in pre-examination and agency services. The provincial-level intellectual property administration authorities are responsible for vetting the qualifications of Professional Group participants.

Participants in the Public Group shall be relevant staff of enterprises and public institutions, university teachers and students, and other eligible persons.

V. Arrangement of the Competition

(1) Professional Group.

1. Provincial recommendation: each provincial-level intellectual property administration authority shall recommend six outstanding staff members of intellectual property public service institutions to participate in the final (two for each of the three fields of machinery, electronics, and chemicals and pharmaceuticals). Provincial-level intellectual property administration authorities are encouraged to organise their own preliminary rounds or to hold regional events jointly with other provinces.

Each provincial-level intellectual property administration authority shall confirm the qualifications of the recommended candidates, send the consolidated recommendation form (see Annex 2), the participant registration form (Annex 3) and the participation commitment letters to the Competition contact mailbox before 30 September 2026, and confirm with the Competition contact person of the Shandong Intellectual Property Office.

2. Final: the final of the Professional Group will be held in mid-November in Jinan, Shandong Province, and will consist of an on-site computer-based written test and an on-site defence.

In the on-site computer-based written test, contestants will complete the questions on site in a closed setting at a designated venue within a specified time, using the patent search and analysis tools designated by the Competition, and the contestants who will take part in the on-site defence will be selected; in the on-site defence, contestants will explain their search and analysis ideas and methods on site, answer practical essay questions drawn by lot, and respond to questions from the judges and the audience. The winners will be determined through expert scoring and audience evaluation.

(2) Public Group.

Registration for the online answering of the Public Group will start before the opening of the national final of the Professional Group, and the provincial-level intellectual property administration authorities will assist in organising registration and online answering for the Public Group. The answering stage will be carried out simultaneously with the final of the Professional Group.

VI. Competition Platforms

The final of the Professional Group will uniformly use the Patent Search and Analysis System of the China National Intellectual Property Administration (website: https://pss-system.cponline.cnipa.gov.cn/conventionalSearch).

The online answering system for the Public Group online knowledge quiz will be released on the Yellow River Basin Intellectual Property Big Data Centre platform (website: https://huanghe-ip.com).

VII. Awards

In the final of the Professional Group, 3 first prizes, 6 second prizes, 9 third prizes and 18 excellence awards will be awarded, with commendation announced on site.

For the Public Group, results will be generated after the online answering, and those with excellent results will receive electronic certificates.

VIII. Training

During the final, on-site training will be organised for all finalists of the Professional Group. After the competition, winners will be organised to share their experience.

IX. Work Requirements

(1) Strengthening organisation and coordination: the provincial-level intellectual property administration authorities shall earnestly organise and mobilise for the Competition, ensure that contestants fully understand and actively participate in the Competition and abide by the rules of the event. Intellectual property public service institutions shall provide the necessary conditions and support for contestants.

(2) Strengthening training and publicity: provincial-level intellectual property administration authorities are encouraged to carry out training on improving public service capacity in due course according to the schedule of the event, to publicise the experience and results of the activities in a timely manner, and to report good and typical practices.

(3) Ensuring the smooth running of the event: no entry fee is charged for the Competition; board and lodging during the final of the Professional Group will be arranged by the organiser, while accommodation costs and round-trip travel expenses shall be borne by the organisations to which the contestants belong.

X. Other Matters

(1) Contestants must sign a participation commitment letter, undertaking to compete in good faith and abide by the discipline of the event.

(2) The specific arrangements for the Professional Group and the Public Group will be released on the National Intellectual Property Public Service Platform (website: https://ggfw.cnipa.gov.cn/homeindex).

Annexes: 1. Participation Commitment Letter of the 2026 National Intellectual Property Public Service Information Search and Analysis Skills Competition; 2. Recommendation Form for Participants (Professional Group); 3. Registration Form for Participants (Professional Group) (annexes available on the page at the original link)

General Office of the China National Intellectual Property Administration

26 June 2026

Contact information: Shandong Intellectual Property Office / Shandong Intellectual Property Development Centre, contacts: Dou Yuanyuan, Mi Zhenzhen, tel.: 0531-88198650, e-mail: mizhenzhen@shandong.cn; Patent Documentation Department of the Patent Office of the CNIPA, contacts: Yu Wenting, Shi Shudong, tel.: 010-62086484, 62083224; Public Service Department of the CNIPA, contacts: Tian Xin, Wang Bo, tel.: 010-62083264, 62083109

Source: China National Intellectual Property Administration (CNIPA), original date: 9 July 2026, original link: https://www.cnipa.gov.cn/art/2026/7/9/art_75_207143.html