Nanshan ranks first in the country’s top 100 innovative districts, Shenzhen Economic Daily reported Thursday, citing the latest ranking compiled by CCID Consulting Urban Economic Research Center.

Seven districts in Shenzhen, namely Nanshan, Bao’an, Longgang, Futian, Longhua, Guangming and Luohu, entered the top 100 list.

Nanshan has been ranked first for four consecutive years while Bao’an and Guangzhou’s Tianhe District ranked second and third, respectively.

The list is based on an evaluation index system, which includes four primary indicators such as innovation ecology, innovation power, innovation subject and innovation achievements and 16 secondary indicators like regional GDP, R&D investment intensity and the number of national high-tech enterprises.

The CCID research shows that urban districts play an important role in China’s innovation-driven strategy.

In 2021, the number of national high-tech enterprises in Nanshan District exceeded 4,300, the district’s R&D investment accounted for 28.6% of the city’s total, and the number of new PCT international patent applications accounted for nearly one-tenth of the country’s total.

Bao’an District ranked 8th last year and it jumped six places to rank second on the list this year.

As a large industrial area, Bao’an has a complete industrial technology innovation chain. The district has also made remarkable achievements in 16 secondary indicators such as R&D investment intensity and the number of national high-tech enterprises.