China has given the green light for a national intellectual property protection centre in a new megacity outside Beijing, a facility that is expected to cut approval times for hi-tech patents by about 70 per cent.

Once up and running, the centre in Xiongan New Area would provide expedited patent examination and one-stop intellectual property services for next-generation information technology and new materials, Xiongan authorities said in a statement on Saturday.

“[The centre] will help companies to better protect their innovations and accelerate the development of an innovation edge in the targeted industries,” it said.

It added that the centre would strengthen intellectual property protection and support coordinated innovation across the wider Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region.

The Xiongan New Area, established in Hebei province in 2017, is designed to serve as a development hub for Beijing, Tianjin and Hebei.

Faster patent approvals are seen as a way to help companies commercialise innovations and secure legal protection more quickly.