No 10 Vancouver, Canada

Tech hub: Silicon Valley North

A view of the skyline of Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, March 20, 2017. [Photo/IC]

Beijing's Zhongguancun has unseated San Francisco's Silicon Valley as the top technology hub in the world, according to a report by Expert Market, a US-based business resource company.

Beijing's Zhongguancun tech community has became the top destination for the world's brightest tech talents due to its favorable climate for early stage funding, good performance in startup output and the city's affordable cost of living, revealed the Top Tech cities in the World 2017 report.

About 10 data points were used to determine the rankings, such as the average salaries for software engineers, how long it takes to get a business up and running, cost of living and monthly rent prices, growth index and startup output, Forbes reported citing the methodology of the study.

Berlin ranked second, down from the top spot, which it held in 2016, and San Francisco, where Silicon Valley is located, took the third spot. Shanghai grabbed sixth place as a new entrant to this year's list, with a high growth index, relatively low monthly rent and good startup experience.

The report shows how fast moving and internationally competitive the tech industry is. Although Silicon Valley still excels in a number of key areas, international competitors have overtaken the original tech hub city, especially when it comes to attracting the most promising new tech hires, said Jared Kelher, editor of Export Market, as reported by Forbes.

Let's take a look at the world's top 10 tech cities in 2017.