Exploring pathways of regional technological development in China through patent analysis

•There is evidence of substantial changes in China's system of knowledge production.•However, existing regional patterns continue to define leverage points for future growth.•There remains ample reason to think twice about the motive of Chinese applications.•In China's coordinated economy, separating political and technological trends is difficult.•Politically triggered trends in catching-up regions may become ‘real’ in due course.

Recently, China has experienced a surge in patenting and become the leading applicant nation worldwide. The technological substance of this growth, however, has become increasingly doubted as China's governments continue to promote patenting as a target per se. Against this background, the paper explores the structure of Chinese patenting from a regional perspective. Firstly, it analyses the technological profile, public component and outward orientation of specific provinces' technological ecosystems. Secondly, it connects these specific profiles to regions' recent growth in patent applications. Concluding, it finds that there are indications of both politically induced and technologically substantial growth in applications.