Abstract: Accelerating the cultivation of new-quality productivity and achieving industrial upgrading and transformation are common challenges faced by traditional industrial cities. Intellectual property,represented by the patent system,is a key factor for enterprises to gain a foothold in the market,achieve long-term stable development,and iterate technological innovation. Effectively addressing the challenges of intellectual property development is of great significance for promoting urban industrial transformation and upgrading. Based on the patent application data in Tianjin from 2014 to 2023,and combined with the intellectual property characteristics of enterprises in the city,this paper explores the functional path of intellectual property development in the process of Tianjin’s industrial upgrading through two types of comparisons: a horizontal comparison with cities advanced in new-quality productivity,and a vertical comparison covering aspects such as the ranking of patent applicants,trends in technology applications,and technology composition across different years. This has theoretical and practical significance for traditional industrial cities to formulate scientific and perfect innovative development strategies.

Key words: Tianjin, industrial upgrading, intellectual property, patents, new-quality productivity