Employees at Xiamen Xm-Plus Technology, a little giant company, test and review products. [Photo by Zhang Qihui / CHINA DAILY]

Speaking of financial support, local officials said the zone will take a multipronged approach. It will increase its investment in little giant companies in the zone. Those listed on domestic stock exchanges will be given a total subsidy of 5 million yuan in stages. 

To solve financing problems faced by companies, the zone has set up a financial service platform, which integrates the high-quality products and services of various financial institutions, such as banking, insurance, financial leases and funds. As long as companies submit their demands online, they can get the financial products they want in just one stop. 

The latest data show that the zone is now home to 358 companies that have been awarded the title of leading innovative SMEs. Of them, 29 have national-level recognition, accounting for nearly 40 percent of the total number of such companies in Xiamen. According to the zone, this is a vivid screenshot of how the zone is marching toward innovation driven high-quality development. It will increase its financial investment by more than 100 million yuan per year to further support these companies, according to local officials. 

Guo Wei, Liu Qing and Li Shun contributed to this story.