CityUHK leads Hong Kong in US Patents for the tenth consecutive year, remains among Asia’s top ten
City University of Hong Kong (CityUHK) has once again secured its position in the prestigious global top 100 universities worldwide for most US patents granted, leading Hong Kong for the tenth consecutive year. The University is also the only local institution on the list. This outstanding performance reaffirms CityUHK’s role as a core driver of innovation and scientific research in Hong Kong, highlighting the University’s impact on societal advancement and economic development through research breakthroughs and patent commercialisation.
Since 2013, the National Academy of Inventors (NAI) has annually released the Top 100 Worldwide Universities list to recognise universities for their achievements in research innovation and its commercial applications. With 88 US Utility Patents granted in 2025, CityUHK ranked 35th globally and eighth in Asia. The results demonstrate the University's strong research capabilities and reflect international recognition of its long-term commitment to knowledge transfer, industry collaboration and innovation deployment.
As of 29 January 2026, CityUHK had filed 1,824 patent applications worldwide, securing 844 patents covering a wide range of fields, including information and communications technology, artificial intelligence and data science, materials science and physics, bio-engineering and life sciences, and green technologies. Currently, nearly 100 patents have attracted investment from HK Tech 300 Angel Fund start-up teams through licensing agreements, creating an effective pathway from research to market and promoting broader societal applications of CityUHK’s innovations.
CityUHK places inspiration, interaction and innovation at the core of its educational and research mission. Through forward-looking initiatives such as HK Tech 300, the CityUHK Academy of Innovation, and the Institute of Digital Medicine, the University systematically nurtures innovation talent and accelerates technology translation to address critical challenges faced by both local and global communities.
The University’s academic influence continues to rise. In the list of Highly Cited Researchers 2025 by Clarivate, 32 CityUHK scholars were named, ranking the University ninth in Asia and second in Hong Kong. In terms of faculty size, CityUHK led Hong Kong in the proportion of the world’s most Highly Cited Researchers for the tenth consecutive year, underscoring the long-standing international impact and exceptional performance of its research community.
The NAI collaborates with more than 260 US and international universities, government agencies and non-profit research institutes. It is dedicated to recognising inventors with US patents, enhancing the visibility of academic technology and innovation, promoting intellectual property disclosure and education, and enhancing public understanding of how the inventions benefit society.