WIPO Honors Cities for Innovation; EPO Reports High Patent Quality
Charleroi, Liverpool, and Shanghai are the first "City of Innovation" awardees, while the European Patent Office maintains high standards in patent granting.
By Giovanni Sapere
3 min readHuman-Edited, AI-Assisted
The World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) recently announced Charleroi, Liverpool, and Shanghai as the inaugural recipients of its "City of Innovation" award, recognizing their dedication to fostering creativity and innovation within their communities. Concurrently, the European Patent Office (EPO) released its Quality dashboard update for the third quarter of 2026, demonstrating continued high standards in its patent granting process.
WIPO's Inaugural City of Innovation Awards
The World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) launched its "City of Innovation" awards program this year at the annual UN Forum of Mayors. On October 12, 2026, WIPO named Charleroi (Belgium), Liverpool (United Kingdom), and Shanghai (China) as the first winners WIPO Names Charleroi, Liverpool and Shanghai as First “City of Innovation” Award Winners. This award acknowledges cities that commit to building ecosystems that unlock the innovative and creative potential of their residents. Urban areas are significant economic drivers, housing about half of the world's population and generating 80% of global GDP, with two-thirds of global population growth projected to occur in cities by 2050 WIPO Names Charleroi, Liverpool and Shanghai as First “City of Innovation” Award Winners. WIPO Director General Daren Tang emphasized the collaborative nature of progress. The selected cities have pledged to attract technology start-ups, develop digital and creative skills, and expand intellectual property support. For instance, Charleroi plans to leverage its A6K-E6K innovation and training hub to attract new businesses and equip its workforce with essential digital competencies WIPO Names Charleroi, Liverpool and Shanghai as First “City of Innovation” Award Winners.
“Invention is a solo game but innovation is a team sport.”
— Daren Tang
European Patent Office Maintains High Quality Standards
On October 13, 2026, the European Patent Office (EPO) released its quarterly update for the Quality dashboard, reflecting audit figures from the third quarter of 2026 Quality dashboard: quarterly update. The dashboard, launched in March 2024, aims to enhance transparency by providing regular updates on quality standards and user satisfaction in the patent granting process Quality dashboard: quarterly update. The EPO reported that the quality of its search operations remains high, with 93.1% of audited searches showing no findings related to novelty, inventive step, or added subject-matter in the 24-month rolling average Quality dashboard: quarterly update. Similarly, the quality of examination for granted patents also maintained a high level, with 88.6% of audited grants having no findings that could potentially affect their validity, specifically regarding novelty, inventive step, or added subject-matter in the independent claims. Findings related to incorrect assessment of novelty or inventive step in the grant process decreased to 6.3% in Q3 2026, down from 9.5% in 2022 Quality dashboard: quarterly update.
Photo: European Patent Office
Strengthening International IP Partnerships
In related news, the President of the European Patent Office recently received the Chinese Government Friendship Award. This recognition underscores the strong partnership between the EPO and the China National Intellectual Property Administration (CNIPA), highlighting collaborative efforts in the international intellectual property landscape EPO President receives Chinese Government Friendship Award.
What to Watch Next
WIPO will continue to work with the winning cities to document their initiatives and track the realization of their pledges, forming the first cohort of an expanding network designed to inspire other municipalities WIPO Names Charleroi, Liverpool and Shanghai as First “City of Innovation” Award Winners. The EPO's Quality dashboard will continue to provide quarterly updates, offering ongoing transparency into the quality of its patent granting services Quality dashboard: quarterly update.
