The China Intellectual Property Annual Conference will be held in Beijing on Sept 11 and 12, with a focus on IP development and protection in the digital era, an official from the country's top IP regulator announced on Friday.

This year's conference will feature more than 30 activities, including an opening ceremony, a main session, sub-forums, roundtable discussions, seminars and press conferences, according to Liu Chao, chairman of the Intellectual Property Publishing House Co Ltd, the organizer of the conference.

Liu revealed that more than 8,000 people will be participating in what is the 14th edition of the conference, including around 160 domestic and international experts from governments, enterprises and international organizations. During the event, there will be discussions on IP creation, protection, utilization, services and cooperation.

"With the rapid development of digital technology driving a new wave of technological and industrial transformation, the IP system has served as a catalyst for innovation and an accelerator for economic growth, and its rules and practices should also proactively adapt to the changes of the digital age," he said.

Previously, the annual conference has acted as a communication platform for governments, businesses, universities, research institutions, service agencies and international organizations concerned with IP protection and innovation.

Over the past five years, hundreds of related high-level forums have been held, covering topics such as patents, trademarks, copyright, geographical indications, integrated circuit layout designs and data IP.

According to Liu, the conference is part of a wider network of more than 1,000 leading domestic and international IP service organizations and over 50,000 industrial experts and users, forming the world's largest IP service and user community, which aids the globalization and higher-end development of China's IP services.