London – San Francisco topped a list of the most high-tech cities in the world, winning in just about every category. Four Chinese cities made it into the top 25, including Beijing which climbed 15 spots since the 2016 rankings.

Cities that rely on cutting-edge technologies and create opportunities for people to develop new ones are those that will flourish in the future as the world’s population becomes more and more urban, reports Business Insider. 

The business news site consulted 2thinknow, a research firm that specialises in analysing innovative cities, to rank the most high-tech cities in the world. It compiled a list of 85 cities based on factors related to technological advancement, such as the number of patents filed per capita, startups, tech venture capitalists, and level of smartphone use.

The top 25 cities were divided fairly equally between Asia (nine cities), Europe (six) and North America (ten). Conspicuously absent from the top 25 were cities from Africa or Oceania, despite Melbourne recently being named the most liveable city in the world by the Economist’s Intelligence Unit.

Not surprisingly, San Francisco and its proximity to Silicon Valley topped the ranking. Calling Silicon Valley “the gold standard for tech”, the city won in just about every category thanks to its gigantic startup culture, venture capital scene and density of designers and programmers.

The highest ranked Asia city was Seoul, South Korea, which files more patents that just about any city in the world according to 2thinknow, while the highest ranked European city was London with its extensive public transportation network and high number of startups and programmers. 

Four Chinese cities made it into the top 25: Beijing (16), Shanghai (17), Shenzhen (20) and Hong Kong (22). Many of China’s high-tech cities excel in patents and venture capital, according to the article.