Shandong BeBright Semicon-Tech is a high-tech company specializing in the production of LEDs at the zone. [Photo provided to China Daily]

There are numerous companies in the zone facing similar situations.

Shandong NovoShine Optoelectronics recently upgraded its production technology for pattern substrate to enhance the luminous efficiency of its LEDs.

In the first half of 2018, NovoShine saw a 68 percent year-on-year increase in sales revenue, even though the market situation was not as good as previous years.

"We plan to be the top business in the industry in the next three years," said Wang Jinxiu, deputy general manager of NovoShine.

But that will require help from the zone government — which has taken a series of measures in recent years to provide tailor-made support in such cases.

"An enterprise's development process is similar to helping plant to grow, which needs support from the starting point," said Zhang Zhenshu, director of the Development and Planning Office at the zone's technology bureau.

By optimizing the allocation of technological resources, the zone has established platforms that assist with technology research, innovation support, technological education demonstration and traditional technology innovation.

The zone has also paid close attention in recent years to key sectors such as new energy, automotive manufacturing and advanced chemical products manufacturing.

It is strongly supporting 47 technological upgrade projects in the zone, which will involve a total investment of 15.8 billion yuan.

It also lending a hand to 25 projects, which each have more than 100 million yuan total investment, according to the local authority.