SHANGHAI’S first national intellectual property rights protection service center was established in the Pudong New Area yesterday to shorten the patent application process and enhance IPR protection.

The China (Pudong) Intellectual Property Rights Protection Center in the Zhangjiang Hi-tech Park will help halve the application process to about 15 months, said Lu Guoqiang, director of the Shanghai Intellectual Property Administration.

“A shorter process will help to increase the competitiveness of local companies in the face of the fierce global competition on new technologies,” Lu told a press conference.