Editor's Note

General Secretary Xi Jinping called for “focusing efforts on boosting enterprise innovation, strengthening intellectual property protection, and stimulating the emergence of more specialized, refined, distinctive, and innovative small and medium-sized enterprises.”

The report of the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China clearly stated, “We will support the development of specialized, sophisticated, and innovative enterprises.” Currently, China has cultivated approximately 9,000 “Little Giant” enterprises that are specialized, sophisticated, and innovative. This year, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology released the fourth batch of the list of “Little Giant” enterprises to be nurtured. Among them, Hebei Province had 135 enterprises selected, bringing its total number of such enterprises to 335. Additionally, Hebei was among the 28 enterprises selected in the third batch of “Little Giants” receiving key financial support from the central government. These “Little Giants” have become the most dynamic component of Hebei’s journey toward Chinese-style modernization.

What “secret skills” do Hebei’s specialized, sophisticated, and innovative “Little Giant” enterprises possess? In which fields do they serve as “single-item champions” and “hidden champions”? And how supportive are local Party committees and governments? Recently, People's Daily Online conducted field visits and surveys across various regions of Hebei, launching a series of reports titled “City Portraits of ‘Little Giants,’” focusing on effective measures taken by different localities to create a favorable environment for the development of small and medium-sized enterprises.

In the Xingda Automotive Mould Production Workshop in Botou City, workers are lifting and transporting moulds. Photo provided by the interviewee.

Recently, Xingda Automotive Mould Co., Ltd. in Botou City, Cangzhou, Hebei Province, has been bustling with activity. The company is among the top three automotive mould manufacturers in China.

“Our main products include molds for car side panels, inner and outer panels for engine hoods, roof panels, and more. To ensure timely and high-quality delivery of customer orders, we’re stepping up production efforts, with our workshop operating around the clock,” said Kuang Ya, Assistant to the Chairman of Xingda Automotive Mould Co., Ltd. She added that automotive stamping dies are the company’s core product, and currently, the company is experiencing robust growth in orders.

“We expect our operating revenue to grow by 16% year-on-year in 2022, and our annual exports are set to reach US$16 million,” said Kuang Ya. With the booming growth of the new-energy vehicle industry, automotive molds are once again poised for a new round of development opportunities. In particular, since being selected as a key “Little Giant” enterprise under the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology’s Specialized, Sophisticated, and New program in 2022, the company has demonstrated rapid growth momentum.

According to reports, with the support of national subsidies and relevant policies, Xingda Automotive Mould Co., Ltd. is leveraging its four provincial-level R&D platforms—including the provincial industrial technology research institute—to step up investment in new products, new processes, and new technologies, striving to continuously launch products that are internationally competitive.

Not only Xingda Automotive Mould is working at full capacity to rush orders—over the past few days, the production lines at Hebei Guangxiang Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. in the Cangzhou Port Economic and Technological Development Zone in Hebei have also been operating around the clock.

“Right now, our order backlog extends all the way to March of next year, and we expect our company’s export volume to surpass 100 million U.S. dollars this year,” said Cui Yongbin, Chairman of Hebei Guangxiang Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. In 2021, after being selected as a provincial-level specialized, sophisticated, and new small- and medium-sized enterprise in Hebei, Hebei Guangxiang Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. leveraged relevant national policies to rapidly establish a research and innovation platform.

He stated that Hebei Guangxiang Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. has now embarked on the path to becoming a nationally recognized “Little Giant” enterprise specializing in niche, sophisticated, and innovative products. The company has identified market gaps and is poised to deepen its expertise in specialty active pharmaceutical ingredients. Leveraging a series of policy initiatives at the national, provincial, and municipal levels aimed at supporting the development of the biopharmaceutical industry, the company will continue to increase its investment in research and development, steadily driving its business forward and achieving new breakthroughs.

In fact, Xingda Automotive Mould and Hebei Guangxiang Pharmaceutical are just a microcosm of this trend. In Cangzhou, the vigorous efforts being made by specialized, sophisticated, and innovative enterprises are underpinned by a profound development logic. “In recent years,” said Shi Jinqing, Party Secretary and Director of the Cangzhou Municipal Bureau of Industry and Information Technology, “the Cangzhou industrial and information technology authorities have consistently focused on nurturing specialized, sophisticated, and innovative SMEs, emphasizing policy guidance, strengthening service support, and continuously stimulating enterprises’ innovative vitality.”

Shi Jinqing stated that Cangzhou has successively formulated the “Work Plan for Accelerating the Listing and Cultivation of Specialized, Fine, Distinctive, and Innovative Small and Medium-sized Enterprises in Cangzhou City,” the “Several Measures to Support the High-quality Development of Specialized, Fine, Distinctive, and Innovative SMEs,” and the “Work Plan for Cultivating Specialized, Fine, Distinctive, and Innovative Enterprises and ‘Little Giant’ Enterprises in Cangzhou City.” These documents guide local SMEs toward a path of specialization, refinement, distinctiveness, and innovation. By fostering a group of specialized, fine, distinctive, and innovative “little giant” enterprises, Cangzhou aims to establish a leading echelon of enterprises that will drive high-quality development in the region.

“We are focusing on the city’s leading industries and the distinctive specialty industries of each county, with a particular emphasis on industry-leading enterprises, high-tech enterprises, and technology-based small and medium-sized enterprises. Those that meet the relevant criteria will be included in the ‘Little Giant’ enterprise reserve pool,” said Tang Guowei, Deputy Director of the Cangzhou Municipal Bureau of Industry and Information Technology. He added that every year, the local authorities select a group of promising enterprises from the ‘Little Giant’ reserve pool—companies that possess core technologies, demonstrate strong growth potential, boast high levels of specialization, exhibit robust innovation capabilities, and offer distinctly specialized products and services—for focused cultivation.

“We are promoting the growth and strengthening of specialized, sophisticated, and innovative enterprises through a variety of measures, including closely aligning with enterprise needs, accelerating innovation within enterprises, increasing financial support, and guiding enterprises toward IPOs,” said Tang Guowei. He added that the local area is taking the cultivation of specialized, sophisticated, and innovative enterprises as well as “little giant” companies as a key breakthrough to help high-quality enterprises across the city grow stronger and bigger.

Data shows that since the beginning of this year, local authorities have conducted more than 500 sessions of specialized training services—both online and offline—for companies applying to be designated as “Specialized, Specialized and New” enterprises. At the city and county levels in Cangzhou, a total of 173 bank-enterprise matchmaking events have been organized, successfully addressing financing needs totaling 10.404 billion yuan...

Xingda Automotive Mould Production Workshop in Botou City. Photo provided by the interviewee.

The efforts of functional departments have continuously unleashed the innovative vitality of local specialized, sophisticated, and new enterprises. In 2021, the proportion of R&D investment among specialized, sophisticated, and new SMEs in Cangzhou reached 3.19%, and a number of leading enterprises and “single-item champions” have emerged locally in various industries and niche segments.

As of now, Cangzhou City has 313 provincial-level specialized, sophisticated, and new (SSN) small and medium-sized enterprises, ranking third in the province; 96 provincial-level demonstration SSN enterprises, also ranking third in the province; 40 national-level SSN “Little Giant” enterprises, placing third in the province; and 6 national-level key SSN “Little Giant” enterprises, ranking fourth in the province.

“Next, we will further intensify our efforts to accelerate the development of specialized, sophisticated, and innovative ‘Little Giant’ enterprises across the city,” said Shi Jinqing. By 2025, Cangzhou City aims to have around 80 such ‘Little Giant’ enterprises. These ‘Little Giant’ enterprises will play an even more prominent role in supporting key local industries—including high-end manufacturing, new materials, complete vehicle and component manufacturing, and biopharmaceuticals.

(Editor-in-charge: Fang Tong, Fu Zhaosa)