Xi'an ranks 6th among national innovative cities

Xi'an, capital of Northwest China's Shaanxi province, ranked 6th in the innovation capacity index of national innovative cities, according to the monitoring and assessment reports of national innovative cities in 2022.

The reports were released by the Ministry of Science and Technology and the Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China on Feb 15.

They evaluated the innovation capabilities of 97 prefecture-level and sub-provincial-level national innovative cities.

According to the reports, Xi'an has further narrowed the gap with the top city on the list by virtue of its advantages in rich scientific and educational resources.

In 2022, the number of Xi'an's national high-tech enterprises exceeded 9,700, a year-on-year increase of more than 36 percent. The number of technology-based small and medium-sized enterprises topped 11,000, up more than 28 percent.

The city's turnover of technical contracts exceeded 260 billion yuan ($37.92 billion) throughout the year, a gain of more than 17 percent. Also, the city's intensity of research and development investment reached 5.18 percent, ranking it second in sub-provincial cities.

Last year, in the Global Innovation Index or GII ranking, Xi'an jumped from 33rd to 22nd.

This year, plans are for Xi'an to attract more innovative resources, cultivate innovative subjects, build a hub for innovative talent and optimize its environment for innovation.