Forty-three Zhuhai-based enterprises were among the 658 Guangdong entrees who were granted the title of Specialized, Elaborative, Characteristic, and Emerging "Little Giant" (small and medium-sized) Enterprise, which was recently announced by the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology.

To be conferred with this title, candidates must be leading enterprises that specialize in niche markets, have strong innovative capabilities, command a high market share, exhibit excellent core technologies, and demonstrate superior quality and efficiency.

Zhuhai shows great promise. [File photo by Li Jianshu / Zhuhai Media Group]

Since 2019, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology has been selecting batches of enterprises that meet certain criteria. As a leading province in China's manufacturing industry, Guangdong boasts a total of 1,535 enterprises that have won this prestigious title, ranking first countrywide. 

Guangdong has issued a plan to cultivate more than 2,000 specialized and innovative "little giant" enterprises and about 20,000 specialized and innovative small and medium-sized enterprises by 2027. Additionally, it aims to incubate 150 specialized, elaborative, characteristic, and emerging enterprises for potential listing.

The number of "little giant" enterprises is a direct reflection of the development quality of the local industrial economy. As of the end of 2022, Zhuhai has accumulated 33 specialized, elaborative, characteristic, and emerging “little giant" enterprises and 713 provincial-level specialized, elaborative, characteristic, and emerging SMEs. They span multiple industries such as biomedicine and health, integrated circuits, new energy and smart grids, intelligent manufacturing, electronic information, and new materials.

In 2020, Zhuhai took the lead in issuing city-level selection methods for specialized, elaborative, characteristic, and emerging SMEs. 

Xiangzhou district has established a one-stop service platform to support the development of specialized, elaborative, characteristic, and emerging enterprises. It provides comprehensive services such as achievement displays, industrial promotions, enterprise diagnosis, operation monitoring, and application guidance for specialized, elaborative, characteristic, and emerging enterprises in the district. 

In addition, the Zhuhai National Hi-Tech Industrial Development Zone (Tangjiawan) now provides one-time rewards of 1.2 million yuan ($167,364) and 600,000 yuan ($83,682) to enterprises selected as the national and provincial-level "little giant" enterprises, respectively.

Officials of the Municipal Industrial and Information Technology Bureau noted that specialized, elaborative, characteristic, and emerging enterprises are an important force supporting Zhuhai's manufacturing industry and serve as an important source of innovation, vitality, and stability for the industrial, supply, and innovation chains.