Guangdong topped the recently released 2023 China Regional Innovation Capability Assessment Report, marking its seventh consecutive year as the top-ranking province.

Guangdong has made effort to improve its innovation system encompassing basic research, technological breakthroughs, result commercialization, science and technology finance, and talent support.

The province has highlighted basic research by allocating over one-third of the provincial-level science and technology innovation funds to basic research.

A recent achievement led by the Pengcheng Laboratory set a new industry record in 6G wireless testing. Various researches by the laboratory have formed the foundation for China's breakthroughs in 6G technology and early standardization efforts.

"From 2017 to 2022, Guangdong led or participated in seven research projects recognized as China's Top 10 Scientific Advances. This year, a team led by Professor Wang Meng from Sun Yat-sen University made a groundbreaking discovery in high-temperature superconductors, marking a milestone in international physics research for the past almost four decades.

Guangdong ranks second nationwide in the "knowledge creation" index of the report for four straight years following Beijing.

The province is home to over 69,000 high-tech enterprises, ranking first nationwide for seven consecutive years. Approximately 76,000 technology-based small and medium-sized enterprises play a pivotal role in driving innovation in Guangdong. Companies like Huawei, DJI Innovations, and Midea invest billions annually in research and development.

Guangdong boasts 880,000 high-level talents and over 1.3 million research and development personnel. The province has optimized a comprehensive talent service system, including the mutual recognition of foreign work permits and the reform pilot of standards for the identification of "high-level foreign talents" and foreign talents in urgent need.

Initiatives such as talent innovation policies in areas like Hengqin, Qianhai, Nansha, and Hetao have been launched, promoting policies such as foreign talent visas, invitations to foreign experts, and the evaluation of high-level talents from foreign countries and Hong Kong, Macao, and Taiwan. Currently, about 44,000 foreigners work in Guangdong, with more than 11,000 being high-end foreign talents.