The province saw 66,616 patent applications filed in the first three quarters of this year, a year-on-year rise of 23.75 percent, and 36,476 patents granted, a year-on-year increase of 35.66 percent. Of the new patents granted, 6,400 were invention patents, 21,715 were utility models and 8,361 were industrial designs. Local officials said patent agencies have played a key role in helping inventors to own and protect their intellectual property. The province had 85 such agencies by the end of September.