Feature Stories
City University of Hong Kong (CityUHK) has once again ranked in the global top 100 universities for the most US patents granted, leading Hong Kong for the tenth consecutive year and remaining the only local institution on the list.
According to the National Academy of Inventors (NAI) Top 100 Worldwide Universities list (released annually since 2013), CityUHK secured 88 US Utility Patents in 2025, ranking 35th globally and 8th in Asia. This achievement highlights the university’s strong research capabilities, commitment to knowledge transfer, industry collaboration, and innovation commercialization, driving societal and economic progress in Hong Kong.
As of January 29, 2026, CityUHK had filed 1,824 patent applications worldwide and secured 844 patents across fields such as information and communications technology, AI and data science, materials science, bio-engineering, life sciences, and green technologies. Nearly 100 patents have been licensed to start-ups supported by the HK Tech 300 Angel Fund, facilitating the transition from research to market applications.
CityUHK emphasizes inspiration, interaction, and innovation through initiatives like HK Tech 300, the CityUHK Academy of Innovation, and the Institute of Digital Medicine to nurture talent and accelerate technology translation for local and global challenges.
Additionally, in Clarivate’s Highly Cited Researchers 2025 list, 32 CityUHK scholars were recognized, placing the university 9th in Asia and 2nd in Hong Kong. For the tenth year, it leads Hong Kong in the proportion of Highly Cited Researchers relative to faculty size, reflecting its growing international research impact.
The mission and goal of NAI is to recognize and encourage inventors with U.S. patents to enhance the visibility of academic technology and innovation, encourage the disclosure of intellectual property, educate and mentor innovative students, and to create wider public understanding of how its members’ inventions can benefit society. It collaborates with more than 260 US and international universities, government agencies and non-profit research institutes now to achieve its aim.