Intellectual Property Administrations of all provinces, autonomous regions, municipalities directly under the Central Government, cities separately listed in the State plan, cities at the deputy provincial level, Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps, Intellectual Property Service and Promotion Center of Sichuan Province, local relevant centers, all departments of the CNIPA, all departments of the Patent Office, Trademark Office, other units directly under CNIPA, and social organizations:

The "14th Five-Year Plan for Intellectual Property Talents" is hereby printed and distributed to you. Please earnestly implement it.

China National Intellectual Property Administration

December 31, 2021

The 14th Five-Year Plan for Intellectual Property Talents

To strengthen the talent team construction of intellectual property, stimulate the innovation vitality of the whole society, and provide talent support for building a world-class intellectual property powerhouse with Chinese characteristics, this Plan is formulated in accordance with the Outline for Building an Intellectual Property Powerhouse (2021-2035) and the National Plan for the Protection and Application of Intellectual Property Rights during the 14th Five-Year Plan Period.

I. Background

Talent is an important indicator of a country's comprehensive national strength, and it’s a strategic resource for achieving national rejuvenation and winning the initiative in international competition. Intellectual property talent is the first resource for the development of the intellectual property undertaking, the prerequisite for the high-quality development of intellectual property, and the strategic support for the construction of a powerful country with intellectual property. We have made continuous progress in the intellectual property undertaking, making strides on the road of developing intellectual property with Chinese characteristics. With our efforts, the protection of intellectual property rights is a great success, the work of intellectual property talents has successfully completed the goal set in the 13th Five-Year period, the institutions and mechanism for the development of intellectual property talents, as well as the policy environment has been further optimized, the national intellectual property talent team has grown rapidly, up to 690 thousand people with a more reasonable talent structure, the "five in a batch" talent team of intellectual property in urgent need has been basically formed, the ability and quality of talents have been comprehensively improved, the implementation of talents project has achieved obvious results, the talent evaluation mechanism has been constantly improved, and intellectual property major has been added to the national economic title series. The work of intellectual property talents has made remarkable progress. However, there still are some weaknesses and problems in the intellectual property talent work. For example, the work system for intellectual property talents needs further improving, and the mechanism for talents cultivation, evaluation and motivation and the system for personnel flow and allocation still need further perfecting. Furthermore, the talent structure is not optimized enough, the number of high-level talent is not sufficient, and the imbalance between supply and demand for intellectual property talents is still a problem to be solved.

The period of "14th Five-Year" is the opening for us to set out on the new journey of building a modern socialist country in all respects. In order to ensure the good start of the construction of an intellectual property powerhouse, the 14th Five-Year Plan for Intellectual Property Talents is formulated and implemented, following which we can cultivate and train a batch of high-quality talents having both professional ability and political integrity. We can unleash the innovative vitality of intellectual property talents with a more positive personnel policy, more specific tasks, and more effective guarantee measures, providing talent support for the completion of the National Plan for the Protection and Application of Intellectual Property Rights during the 14th Five-Year Plan Period and the Outline for Building an Intellectual Property Powerhouse (2021-2035), and supporting the strategy of reinvigorating China through human resource development in the new era.

II. General Requirements

(1) Guiding Ideology

With Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era as the guidance, we should thoroughly implement the party's spirits of the 19th National Congress and 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, and 6th Plenary Session of the 19th National Congress, embrace the overall plan for development in five areas and advance the four-pronged comprehensive strategy, adhere to pursue progress while ensuring stability, and carry out new development concept and build a new development pattern base on the new stage of development. We should regard the promotion of high-quality development as the core, adhering to the Party's management of talents and continue to ensure the supply of intellectual property talents and the innovation of policies for intellectual property talent development in accordance with the central Talent Work Conference and general Secretary Xi Jinping's important instructions and spirits on attaching importance to the construction of intellectual property talent team. We should adhere to the Party's overall leadership over talent work, create an environment where talent is appreciated, loved, respected, and utilized, attract talents from all over the world, cultivate and utilize talents in an all-round way, improve comprehensively the training, evaluation and growth system for intellectual property talents, and unblock the work of intellectual property talents.

(2) Basic Principles

--Lead development with talents.

Give top priority to exploration of intellectual resources, regard the intellectual property talent as the most fundamental, the most important, and the most crucial element in the building of an intellectual property powerhouse, raise the position of intellectual property talent to a strategic height, build the intellectual property talent team with full ability, strive to lay the talents foundation to intellectual property development, and promote the construction of an intellectual property powerhouse to a new level.

--Adhere to demand orientation.

Focusing on the goal of building an intellectual property powerhouse, we should adhere to demand-oriented, improve the capacity of talent supply, do a good job in training talents independently, maintain a scientific balance between supply and demand for intellectual property talents, and strive to solve key problems in the training and utilizing talents of intellectual property.

--Value both the quality and effectiveness.

Focusing on improving the ability, quality and efficiency of talents, we should combine the quantity and quality of talents, improve the work system for intellectual property talents, implement policies, measures and projects to improve the efficiency of talents, and strengthen the in-depth integration of talent training and talent evaluation.

--Make progress systematically.

Make overall plans for the classified training, scientific evaluation, efficient utilization, rational allocation, and stimulating growth of intellectual property talents, combine overall plans with key promotion, integrate superior resources, and improve the systematization, integrity and coordination of the training for intellectual property talents in the new era.

(3) Main Objectives

The overall objectives of intellectual property talents work during the 14th Five-year Plan period are as follows: comprehensively integrate the work resources of intellectual property talents, promote the talent team construction of intellectual property in the whole chain, and build and improve the IP talent system that met the needs of the construction of IP powerhouse in the new era, making the talents training satisfy all kinds of needs in all areas, at all levels of intellectual property. We will strengthen the high-quality training of intellectual property talents, increase the supply of talents, improve the talent evaluation and incentive mechanism, improve the efficiency of talent utilization, strive to create a high-end platform conducive to the growth and development of talents, and comprehensively improve the ability, quality and level of talents. By 2025, the number of intellectual property talents will exceed 1 million, the scale of high-level talents will be further expanded, the structure of talents will be further optimized, and the efficiency of talents will be continuously enhanced.

We should do well in the building of four key talent teams and one basic talent team to meet the demands for all kinds of intellectual property talents. Build a professional IP talents team with high political quality and strong professional ability to protect IP rights, build a talent team promoting the capitalization and industrialization of intellectual property, cultivate a talent team with discipline backgrounds like science and engineering, management, law and other disciplines for IP public service, cultivate and select a team of international intellectual property talents with international vision, rich experience in international communication and ability to deal with international affairs. At the same time, we will strengthen the construction of basic talent teams at all levels, such as intellectual property examination and publicity.

            The main indicators for the development of IP talents in the 14th Five-Year period

III.  Main Tasks

(1) Strengthen the building of talents for intellectual property protection and push intellectual property protection to a new level.

We will speed up the improvement of the talents’ capacity involved in intellectual property administrative protection and intensify the cultivation and training of national and local talents for intellectual property administrative protection. We will build a team of teachers for intellectual property administrative protection, and we will strictly implement the management system for the entry and qualification of personnel for administrative adjudication of intellectual property rights, carry out rotation training for personnel with certificates in the national intellectual property rights system, and improve their ability to handle administrative adjudication cases. We will build a talent team of technical investigators for administrative protection of intellectual property, promote the establishment of a directory of intellectual property experts, and strengthen the training for professional and technical capabilities.

The intellectual Property Rights Protection Center, Rapid Rights Protection Center and Rights Protection Assistance Center will be enriched with talents. Enhance professional competence, optimize the mechanism for talent selection and employment and the mechanism for talents management and incentive, intensify training efforts in rapid pre-examination, rapid confirmation of intellectual property rights and rapid safeguarding of rights, promote the ability and quality of talents in rapid collaborative protection, and build high-quality and compound talent team in intellectual property protection. Public lawyers, patent attorneys and professional and technical personnel are encouraged to participate in IP mediation work. Strengthen professional training on intellectual property rights for mediators and other relevant personnel.

(2) Enhance the talents’ ability for the application of intellectual property and promote the application of intellectual property to make new achievements.

Optimize the training system for intellectual property operation personnel, design progressive courses according to the concept of intellectual property operation based on the whole process of innovation and carry out training on intellectual property operation. Guide key cities with the construction of IP operation service system to strengthen the cultivation of high-end operation talents. Improve the financial service capabilities of relevant institutions and personnel in intellectual property pledge, insurance and securitization, and enhance the level of intellectual property assessment. Strengthen the construction of intellectual property personnel of enterprises, guide local governments to carry out graded and classified training for senior management personnel, intellectual property management personnel and practical personnel of enterprises. Encourage the IP talents in universities and research institutions to improve their operation and management capabilities, and significantly increase the number of IP talents in universities and research institutions. Strengthen the training of patent navigation talents, and gradually improve the work performance of patent navigation talents. All regions should strengthen the talent team construction in patent navigation service base, build a characteristic, standardized and effective patent navigation service system, and effectively give a full play to the innovation and development of patent navigation industry. We will organize special training programs on the use of geographical indications and the cultivation of trademarks and brands to improve our ability to comprehensively utilize geographical indications and trademarks and promote rural revitalization and brand economic development.

We will improve the training system for talents in the intellectual property service industry to facilitate innovation and development. We will strengthen the construction of talent team in the intellectual property service industry and cultivate high-end and top-notch talents in the industry. We will enrich the training methods for talents in intellectual property service industry. Establish a talent exchange and cooperation mechanism, guiding personnel in IP service from developed areas to help that in less-developed areas. Strengthen the practice training of patent agents and professional training of trademark agents.

(3) Intensify the training for talents in public service of intellectual property and promote the intellectual property service to a new level.

With the concept of "service for the whole chain with the whole service", a group of multi-level and high-quality talents in intellectual property public service who can effectively serve the public and meet the needs of innovation subjects should be cultivated. In combination with the characteristics of public service institutions and regional needs, we will further enrich the talents of IP public service backbone nodes and service outlets, achieve full coverage of all kinds of IP talents of public service at provincial level, and the coverage rate of prefecture-level cities will reach more than 50%. We will strengthen training at different levels and in different categories, strengthen exchanges, collaboration and sharing of talents in intellectual property public services, and promote rational flow and efficient gathering of talents.

To improve the overall management ability of public intellectual property services and constantly improve the efficiency of public intellectual property services. Strengthen the training of talents in intellectual property information service, improve their abilities in intellectual property information management, information collection and processing, information retrieval and intelligence analysis, and information dissemination and utilization, and constantly expand the force of talents in intellectual property information service in colleges and universities, scientific research institutions, library and information institutions, industrial organizations and other network units with about 4,000 personnel in IP information service. Strengthen the capacity building of personnel in the intellectual property business window, vigorously cultivate talents with "multiple abilities in one post", and constantly improve the ability of the service personnel in the window to "do everything in one window". We will continue to promote the construction of talent team in the field of intellectual property information technology, improve the mechanism of classified management, training and utilization, assessment and evaluation, and development guarantee for talents of information technology, and promote the combination of independent training and talent introduction.

(4) Accelerate the improvement of the talents in international intellectual property and make new progress in international cooperation on intellectual property.

We will implement the special training plan for international talents and establish an international talent training system with clear positioning, specific objectives, multi-hierarchy, interconnection, and efficient operation. Strengthen the selection and training of international talents, such as expatriate international talents, foreign teachers of intellectual property rights, and international examiners, and improve the construction of talent pool. Promote the diversified development of training channels for international talents sent abroad, making full use of training resources at home and abroad and selecting and sending personnel to participate in training programs abroad. Actively develop international intellectual property training programs. In accordance with the actual needs of Chinese enterprises' outward development, special training for international talents in the field of IP operation and IP agency will be carried out, and the talent team building for international negotiation and overseas rights protection will be strengthened. We will accelerate the knowledge update of international talents and encourage them to participate in the study of international rules on intellectual property All regions should strengthen the training of international talents, cultivate a team of professionals who are familiar with international intellectual property system rules and have rich practical experience in dealing with overseas intellectual property disputes, and improve the ability to deal with overseas intellectual property disputes.

Strengthen international exchanges of intellectual property talents. Continue to provide training platforms for international talents through the World Intellectual Property Organization, the China-US-EUROPE-Japan-ROK cooperation, the BROICS cooperation and international cooperation projects on bilateral platforms, help talents accumulate experience in international cooperation and improve their abilities in international cooperation. Cultivate, introduce and utilize international talents in an all-round way.

(5) Strengthen the building of talents with basic knowledge of intellectual property and continuously lay the foundation to the work of intellectual property.

Recruit, train, utilize, develop, manage and stabilize the personnel for IP examination and registration. Formulate and implement the plan to improve the ability of patent examination personnel, define the objectives and priorities, and implement graded training. Strengthen the training of patent examination personnel. Establish a mechanism of evaluation and feedback for training effect of patent examination personnel. Improve the hiring mechanism for trademark examiners. Dynamically adjust personnel configurations based on service requirements. Establish a training target system for trademark examiners. Explore the establishment of a hierarchical management system for trademark examiners. Build a trademark examination and adjudication "expert" talent team composed of 100 people.

We will strengthen the publicity of intellectual property and the training of cultural personnel. We will cultivate a group of high-quality intellectual property publicity talents with political competence for all media, strengthen the construction of publicity ability, focus on the dissemination of ideas, information content, technology application, communication ability and other aspects of training. A total of 1,000 personnel for publicity of intellectual property system nationwide are to be trained in batches. We will strengthen publicity and education on IP protection and tell good stories about China's IP. Focus on training and selecting a group of primary and secondary school intellectual property teachers with rich teaching experience and solid professional foundation. Strengthen the construction of legal talent team in intellectual property, train legal talents with profound intellectual property legal knowledge, good political literacy and professional ethics, and able to skillfully apply legal theory to intellectual property practice. More efforts should be made to train public servants' lawyers, and all regions should focus on training public servants' lawyers with rich practical experience in intellectual property, so as to improve the level of intellectual property legal services.

IV. Key Projects

(1) The construction of training bases for intellectual property talents.

We should set up a number of national training bases for intellectual property talents to cultivate high-level and inter-disciplinary talents, and we should explore the mode of production-university-research training for intellectual property talents which is jointly participated by universities, enterprises and intellectual property service agencies. We should establish a demand-oriented joint training mechanism for intellectual property talents and form a platform for training and exchange of intellectual property talents. Implement dynamic adjustment of national intellectual property training bases, further optimize the layout of bases and improve the quality of bases. A number of exemplary IP talents training programs will be established, a series of "progressive" training programs will be promoted, and mechanisms for project quality assessment and promotion of results will be improved. All regions should strengthen the management of local intellectual property training bases and form a base system combining unity and division with a clear hierarchy with national bases.

(2) The construction of online training courses of intellectual property.

Actively explore new forms, new intellectual property training methods to adapt to the digital, network, and intelligent development trend, focus on promoting the construction of on-line distant education platform for intellectual property courses in China, newly update a number of network courses, build an open and shared network course repository for intellectual property, and improve the scientificity, normalization, and effectiveness of network training. We will guide local governments to carry out on-line training for administrative personnel and train all of them in rotation. Each region should develop a batch of characteristic intellectual property courses according to the local reality.

(3) The build of intellectual property talent team.

Combined with national and regional major strategies, we should highlight the characteristics and guide the development of regional intellectual property talents by classification. Promote the development of high-level IP professionals in Beijing, Shanghai, and the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, forecast the demand for intellectual property professionals by region and industry, explore and draw a map of the current supply and future demand for intellectual property talents, and form an annual report on statistics of intellectual property talents. Encourage and support the construction of platforms to attract and gather talents in central cities where high-level intellectual property talents are concentrated. Carry out work related to regional and industrial development of intellectual property experts and coordinate preferential policies for intellectual property talents with those for regional talents.

(4)  The construction of think tank, expert pool, and talent pool of IP.

Give full play to the role of the National Intellectual Property Expert Advisory Committee and provide strategic consultation and suggestions on overall, key and forward-looking issues of intellectual property development. The research institutions of the CNIPA should strengthen exchanges with universities, research institutions and local intellectual property administration departments to conduct theoretical and practical research. Encourage and guide universities and social institutions to develop intellectual property think tanks. All regions should strengthen the construction of distinctive intellectual property think tanks and build a multi-level and high-level intellectual property think tank system. We will refine the classification of intellectual property expert databases, and improve the categories of experts in geographical indications, trade secrets, traditional knowledge, and traditional culture. We will effectively reduce the number of talents, optimize and integrate all kinds of intellectual property talent plans, strengthen the cultivation and utilization of leading and high-level intellectual property talents, and build a team of "high, excellent and sophisticated" intellectual property talents.

(5)  The professional title evaluation of intellectual property.

We will actively promote the reform of the professional title system for intellectual property rights, support local governments in formulating standards and conditions for the evaluation of professional and technical personnel in intellectual property, scientifically determine the evaluation content, and meet the evaluation needs of professional and technical personnel at different levels. Strengthen the information management of professional title appraisal and establish a national network platform for intellectual property title appraisal service. Where conditions permit, senior intellectual property title appraisal committees should be established to innovate the evaluation mechanism for professional title and enrich the evaluation methods.

(6) The supporting project for establishment of academic degree in intellectual property.

We should fully realize that professional degree education is an important way to train talents urgently needed in the construction of a strong country with intellectual property rights. We should accelerate the establishment of professional degrees in intellectual property rights, give full play to the important role of universities in the cultivation of intellectual property talents, and meet the needs of high-level talents in the construction of an intellectual property powerhouse. The professional degree course system of intellectual property should be set up scientifically, and the basic theoretical study of intellectual property should be closely combined with the training of practical skills with the emphasis on cultivating the practical ability of intellectual property talents. We will encourage central and local governments to jointly build intellectual property institutes and research institutes and explore new paths for cultivating intellectual property talents.

V. Organization and Implementation

(1) Strengthen leadership and team building of the national intellectual property system.

Much more attention should be paid to the work of intellectual property talents, including strengthening leadership and team building, improving the working mechanism, and taking effective measures to fully implement the tasks of talents planning and deployment. The leading departments of each task shall formulate implementation plans and promotion plans. The intellectual property administrative departments in each region shall, in light of their local work conditions, refine objectives and tasks and clarify work responsibilities.

(2) Increase resources input.

Adhere to the concept of giving priority to talent development, enhance the investment into intellectual property talents training, seek support from special state funds, strengthen the guarantee to urgently needed talents and key projects, and comprehensively strengthen the support for talents work in terms of human resources, financial resources, and policies.

(3) Create a sound environment.

Vigorously publicize the meaning of implementing talent plan, in-depth interpret the guiding ideology, basic principles, objectives, and tasks. Positive incentives for the growth of talents should be strengthened, and an environment conducive to the development of talents should be created to encourage them to start their own businesses and careers.

(4) Take serious measures to implement work.

We should strengthen the tracking and monitoring to the implementation of the talent plan, do a good job in the evaluation of the implementation of the plan, summarize and popularize typical experience and practices, discover the problems in the implementation in the timely manner and study solutions, and effectively strengthen the supervision and inspection to the work to ensure the implementation of tasks.