WIPO GII: Shenzhen-Hong Kong-Guangzhou, Tokyo-Yokohama, San Jose-San Francisco, Beijing and Seoul Are World’s Biggest “Innovation Clusters”

Shenzhen-Hong Kong-Guangzhou, Tokyo-Yokohama, San Jose-San Francisco, Beijing and Seoul are the world’s five biggest “GII Innovation Clusters,” or concentrations of innovative activity identified by WIPO through the analysis of international patent filings, scientific publications and venture capital deals.

The Global Innovation Index (GII) cluster initiative maps the cities or regions that bring together universities, researchers, inventors, venture capital and R&D activity, guiding policymakers and business leaders in creating the conditions in which breakthrough ideas flourish.

China (with 25 clusters) and the United States (20) together host nearly half of the world’s 100 biggest innovation clusters. Germany follows with seven clusters, led by Munich (28th), while India, led by Bengaluru (25th), and the United Kingdom, led by London (8th), have four each.

The world’s leading innovation clusters are building blocks of national innovation ecosystems and show the importance of strong connections among research, enterprise, talent and investment. Their spread across regions reflects the increasing capacity of economies to translate innovation into economic and social impact.

The 2026 Ranking of World’s Top 100 Innovation Clusters chapter excerpt was released ahead of the public GII unveiling on September 29, 2026.

The GII clusters chapter reflects the widening reach of innovation across regions.

Beyond China and India, six other middle-income economies host top 100 clusters: Brazil (São Paulo), Egypt (Cairo), the Islamic Republic of Iran (Tehran), Malaysia (Kuala Lumpur), Mexico (Mexico City) and Türkiye (Istanbul). Cairo (86th) is the sole African cluster in the top 100, while São Paulo (49th) and Mexico City (82nd) are the two clusters in Latin America.