Ningbo in East China's Zhejiang province came in 16th among national innovation-driven cities in terms of innovation capability in 2022, according to a recent report.

The report, compiled by the Ministry of Science and Technology and the Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China, evaluated 103 cities that were included in the program launched by the Ministry of Science and Technology to build a batch of innovation-driven cities.

Shenzhen topped the list, followed by Nanjing, Hangzhou, Guangzhou, Wuhan, Xi'an, Suzhou, Changsha, Hefei and Qingdao.

Although the ranking for Ningbo was one spot lower than the previous year, the city still ranked second in Zhejiang, only behind the provincial capital of Hangzhou. Other cities that made the list in the province included Jiaxing (22nd), Wenzhou (36th), Shaoxing (38th), Huzhou (40th), Taizhou (53rd) and Jinhua (59th).

In 2022, the 103 national innovation-driven cities, which account for 51 percent of China's total population, generated 67 percent of the nation's GDP. These cities are home to 85 percent of high-tech companies in China, with their combined R&D spending accounting for 85 percent of the country's total.