Ningbo, East China's Zhejiang province, is home to 39 enterprises with the highest market shares in their niche markets in China.

This success is partly due to their long-term efforts to develop new standards, according to a head official at the Ningbo municipal bureau of market supervision.

Incomplete statistics from local authorities show that the 39 enterprises have participated or are participating in the formulation and revision of 399 national and industrial standards to date.

The top four among these companies are Novel Optics, Sunny Optical, Sanxing Medical Electric, and Keli Sensing, who have taken part in 97 formulations and revisions of standards in total.

In particular, Novel Optics has become the nation's first company to preside over the compilation of international standards for the field of optical microscopes, giving China a place in the global optical precision instruments industry.

Another shining example is the Ningbo-based FOTILE, a leading domestic manufacturer of kitchen household utensils. The company has led or participated in the formulation of more than 50 national and industrial standards.

Official data shows that Ningbo enterprises and public institutions have presided over or participated in the formulation and revision of 18 international standards, 347 national standards, and 208 provincial standards.

This year, the city has presided over the formulation and revision of 64 national standards, nine of which were participated in by the 39 aforementioned enterprises, which have been dubbed the "manufacturing champions".