The 2018 Anhui Science and Technology Awards Conference is held in Hefei, Anhui province, on April 10. [photo by Xu Guokang/cnr.cn]

Enterprises in the Hefei National High-Tech Industry Development Zone in Anhui province received 24 awards at the 2018 Anhui Science and Technology Awards Conference on April 10.

The annual conference recognizes outstanding achievements in science and technology in Anhui province and encourages scientists and enterprises to continue improving.

This year's awards mainly recognized achievements in seven high-tech fields – electronic information, advanced manufacturing, high-tech services, biology and new medicine, new materials, and resource environment.

Eight of the 24 awarded projects in the zone won the top prize. Winning projects include the metropolitan quantum communication networking technology developed by Quantum CTek Co and the artificial intelligence technology for intelligent speech developed by iFlytek.

Science and technology now accounts for 56 percent of economic growth in Anhui province. To promote technological innovation, the zone released plans this year for a slew of new technology infrastructure projects.