Lianjiang is recognized as a National Innovative County by the Ministry of Science and Technology. [Photo/Zhanjiang Daily]

Lianjiang was recently selected as part of the first group of National Innovative Counties (Cities) by the Ministry of Science and Technology.

A total of 52 counties and cities made the list after local recommendations, examinations of application materials, assessments and on-the-spot investigations.

Nominees were categorized into three types: technology-spurred industrial development, technology-supported ecological civilization, and technology-propelled livelihood improvement. Lianjiang falls under the first category.

As a county-level city in Zhanjiang, Lianjiang attaches great importance to innovation. From January to October, it saw eight enterprises pass the professional review process to become national hi-tech companies, and 25 companies were recognized as provincial technology-based medium- and small-sized enterprises.

Lianjiang is now home to three provincial engineering technology research centers and two provincial enterprise research centers, with 21.6 percent of local industrial enterprises above a designated size having their own R&D institutions.