The World Intellectual Property Organization Global Awards (WIPO Global Awards) is an innovation and technology award in the field of intellectual property of the United Nations. It aims to recognize small and medium-sized enterprises and start-ups around the world that achieve technological innovation, commercial implementation and social value relying on intellectual property. The award focuses on the high-quality application of intellectual property. Different from traditional scale awards, it is a core benchmark for measuring the intellectual property application ability, hard technology innovation level and international development ability of scientific and technological small and medium-sized enterprises in a country.

From 2022 to 2025, a total of 6 private scientific and technological small and medium-sized enterprises in China were successfully evaluated and won the WIPO Global Award, which are concentrated in the Yangtze River Delta science and technology innovation cluster, forming a replicable and reviewable award-winning model. Relying on the functions of the WIPO-certified TISC institution, this center systematically carried out full-cycle data review, rule decomposition and element extraction to form this special research report, providing theoretical and practical support for the application and cultivation of regional scientific and technological enterprises, the high-quality development of intellectual property, and the coordinated empowerment of the government, enterprises and universities.

I. Official Rules and Admission Standards of the WIPO Global Award

1.Basic Overview of the WIPO Global Award

🔸Full Name of the Award: WIPO Global Awards (WIPO Global Award)

🔸Sponsor: World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), a specialized agency of the United Nations responsible for innovation and creation

🔸Establishment Purpose: To recognize small and medium-sized and start-up scientific and technological enterprises that rely on intellectual property innovation to achieve commercial value and social inclusiveness, and promote the transformation and application of global intellectual property

🔸Nature of the Award: Specifically established for small and medium-sized enterprises and start-ups, to recognize enterprises that promote business growth and create positive social impact through intellectual property

🔸Coverage: Open to enterprises in all 194 member states of WIPO

🔸Application Language: Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Russian, Spanish (six official languages of the United Nations)

🔸Nature of Application: Free and independent application, held once a year

🔸Core Review Orientation: Patent Quality ➡ Technological Innovation ➡ Commercial Implementation ➡ Global Layout ➡ Sustainable Social Value

2.Award Eligibility and Application Conditions

Divided into two categories: Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SME) and Start-ups. Apply for one of them.

(1) Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SME): A commercial entity with a total number of employees ≤ 300, an annual operating income ≤ 15 million US dollars, having its own intellectual property innovation achievements or services, and being active in one or more international markets.

(2) Start-ups: A commercial entity with a total number of employees ≤ 300, an annual operating income ≤ 15 million US dollars, having its own intellectual property innovation achievements or services, and preparing to enter the market or in the early market stage.

3. Competition Tracks

🔸10 regular awards: Health, Environment, Creative Products, Food and Agriculture, Information and Communication Technology (for SMEs/start-ups)

🔸2 special individual awards: Best Female Entrepreneur, Best Young Entrepreneur (for founders, emphasizing leadership and the role of ambassadors)

🔸New award in 2026: New award based on the theme of World Intellectual Property Day (Sports)

4. Fixed Annual Application Cycle

According to the official public time arrangement of WIPO for five consecutive years, the award is a regular annual event with a fixed cycle and no temporary adjustments:

🔸Application opening period: The application channel opens on January 15 every year;

🔸Application deadline: March 31 every year (23:59 Central European Time), no extension, no late application;

🔸Review cycle: Multiple rounds of anonymous reviews by international experts from April to June every year;

🔸Result announcement and award presentation: The award is officially announced and presented at the WIPO headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland in July every year.

5. Selection Criteria

🔸Business case and intellectual property portfolio

The fit between the company's products/services and the market, and the degree of protection of intellectual property for products/services.

🔸Intellectual property commercialization strategy

How the company uses intellectual property to commercialize achievements at the regional/international level.

🔸Intellectual property culture within the company

The degree of attention and use of intellectual property by the team and the company in daily work.

🔸Impact on building a better society

How the company's work is consistent with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals and contributes to economic, social, cultural and environmental development.

II. Analysis of Chinese Award-winning Enterprises

1.Overall Overview of Award-winning Enterprises and Shortlisted Enterprises in 2026

From 2022 to 2025, a total of 6 domestic enterprises won awards, all of which are private hard technology small and medium-sized enterprises. There are no model innovation or Internet light asset enterprises. The competition tracks are highly concentrated and the regional agglomeration characteristics are significant.

Award-winning List: Suzhou RAYCAN Technology (2022), Shanghai SHYLON(2022), Shanghai WESTWELL Technology (2023), Xi'an Kiss Future Internet Technologies (2023), Healinno (Beijing）Medical Technology (2024), Hangzhou Unitree Robotics (2025).

The list of shortlisted Chinese enterprises in 2026: Botree, Phabuilder, ArteryFlow, Raynovent, Regend Therapeutics, Rokid.

2.Regional and Track Distribution Data

Regional Distribution: 4 enterprises in the Yangtze River Delta region, accounting for 66.7%; 1 enterprise in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region and 1 enterprise in the central and western regions. The scientific and technological innovation resources are highly concentrated in the Yangtze River Delta industrial cluster.Track Distribution: Medical and Health 33.3%, Advanced Robotics and Intelligent Manufacturing 33.3%, Green Energy Conservation and Digital Creativity 33.3%, in line with the United Nations SDGs sustainable development goals.

III. Core Rules for Winning the WIPO Global Award and Key Elements for Application

1.Common Rules of Award-winning Enterprises

Combining the four-year review results and official rules, domestic award-winning enterprises have formed a fixed pattern: private specialized and sophisticated small and medium-sized enterprises + hard technology original technology + high-quality IP matrix + international layout + mature commercialization + SDGs social value, fully matching the WIPO review orientation.

2.Core Elements for Participation

🔸Abandon the accumulation of patent numbers：take high-value invention patents as the core, complete the overseas patent layout in core markets such as the United States, Japan, and Europe, and form a complete IP protection system with trademarks and software copyrights, with stable rights and no risks.

🔸Technological Breakthrough:Focus on the core pain points of the segmented track, possess globally first or internationally leading technologies, solve the bottleneck problems of the industry, and have a clear technological differentiation advantage.

🔸Commercial Verification: Get out of the laboratory R & D stage, have real landing scenarios, cooperative customers, traceable revenue data and market evidence materials.

🔸Social Influence: Apply closely to the track attributes, deeply bind the United Nations SDGs sustainable development goals (such as universal health, green and low-carbon, industrial innovation, etc.), and reflect public social value.

🔸 Storytelling Ability: Logically and completely present the full-chain transformation value of "intellectual property - technological breakthrough - product landing - commercial revenue increase - social empowerment".

IV. References and Traceability Links

[1] WIPO. WIPO Global Awards Official Rules[EB/OL]. https://www.wipo.int/export/sites/www/global-awards/zh/docs/wipo-global-awards-rules.pdf

[2] WIPO. How to Apply to the WIPO Global Awards[EB/OL]. https://www.wipo.int/en/web/awards/global/how-to-apply

[3] National Intellectual Property Administration. Public Notice of Chinese Award-winning Enterprises of the WIPO Global Award over the Years[EB/OL]. https://www.cnipa.gov.cn/

[4] WIPO. 2022 - 2025 Global Awards Winners Archive[EB/OL]. https://www.wipo.int/global-awards/en/

[5] People's Government of Hedong District, Tianjin. Notice on the Application for the WIPO Global Award in 2026[EB/OL]. https://www.tjhd.gov.cn/xxfb/tzgg/202602/t20260202_7237046.html

[6] People's Government of Nansha District, Guangzhou.2024 WIPO Global Award Evaluation Rules [EB/OL]. http://www.gzns.gov.cn/attachment/7/7560/7560899/9780567.pdf