WIPO China: Beijing’s City-level Pathways for Green Technology Deployment

A new report from the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), Accelerating Green Technology Deployments in Beijing – Progress Review of the Beijing Pilot in WIPO GREEN Acceleration Projects, documents four years of practical experience from the first WIPO GREEN City Acceleration Pilot in China. It shows how structured matchmaking and targeted IP support can turn green innovation into tangible environmental benefits in one of the world’s largest and most complex urban environments.

Beijing as a pioneer city for WIPO GREEN Acceleration Projects

Launched in 2021, the Beijing Pilot was jointly implemented by Bluetech Clean Air Alliance (BCAA) and WIPO GREEN, with support from the WIPO Office in China and Beijing Municipal Intellectual Property Office. As China’s capital and a major hub of scientific and technological innovation, Beijing represented a strategic starting point for testing a city level acceleration model that integrates technology transfer and IP considerations.

The Beijing Pilot focused on moving green technologies from invention to matching, demonstration and deployment, while also generating lessons applicable to other cities in China and beyond.

Addressing urban sustainability challenges

A cornerstone of the pilot was a systematic assessment of Beijing’s green development challenges, conducted through expert consultation, stakeholder engagement and data analysis. This process identified three priority areas where technological solutions were most urgently needed:

• CO₂ emissions reduction, particularly in industry, transport and electricity consumption;
• Air quality improvement, with continued challenges related to microscopic airborne particles that are 2.5 micrometers or less in diameter (PM2.5), nitrogen dioxide (NO₂) and ozone;
• Municipal waste treatment, driven by ambitious zero landfill and recycling targets.

These challenges provided the basis for technology scouting, matchmaking activities and deployment efforts under the WIPO GREEN acceleration framework.

From matchmaking to deployment

Between 2021 and mid‑2025, the Beijing Pilot carried out multiple rounds of technology needs assessments and matchmaking sessions, facilitated 12 formal matches between technology providers and local technology seekers, three of which have led to on-the-ground deployments.

Implemented solutions included an intelligent energy management system for electric vehicle charging in residential buildings, a decentralized food‑waste treatment system for commercial kitchens and carbon emissions and footprint monitoring systems for green logistics and supply chains. These deployments demonstrate how coordinated matchmaking and stakeholder engagement can reduce adoption barriers and support tangible environmental outcomes at the city scale.

Strengthening trust and IP readiness

To support effective matchmaking, the Beijing Pilot integrated the Bluetech Carbon Neutrality Pioneers Award as a mechanism for assessing technology credibility and screening candidates. The award evaluates candidate green technologies across innovation, IP competitiveness, low carbon benefits, growth potential and team strategy. Between 2022 and 2025, more than 400 technologies applied to the program, with selected technologies contributing directly to matches, deployments and inclusion in WIPO GREEN’s Green Technology Book.

In parallel, the China Greentech IP Management Clinic (IPMC) provided structured IP strategy training and mentoring to 50 selected greentech enterprises from 2024 to 2026. The program delivered customized IP roadmaps and supported early results, including new patent filings, trade secret protection and preparations for international market entry.

A model for cities worldwide

The Beijing Pilot demonstrates that when intellectual property is deeply embedded into city-level green innovation strategies, it can serve as a powerful catalyst—connecting innovators with real needs and sustainable solutions. By developing a replicable reference model for cities, the Beijing Pilot has provided a valuable sample for the WIPO GREEN City Acceleration Project in Shanghai and other Chinese cities, and contributed practical experience for numerous cities seeking to accelerate green technology deployment through IP-enabled collaboration.