According to a notice issued by the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology on October 21, during the "15th Five-Year Plan" period, a series of specialized and innovative empowerment centers will be built nationwide following a "pilot first, then promote" model, forming an empowerment network that covers key fields and radiates across the country, significantly improving the quality of specialized and innovative development of small and medium-sized enterprises, with "little giant" enterprises continuously emerging.
The specialized and innovative empowerment centers are positioned as technology innovation service institutions that focus on segmented fields, prioritize full-process technological innovation services, and empower the specialized and innovative development of small and medium-sized enterprises, emphasizing service professionalism, highlighting "small entry points," and reflecting "high energy levels." The notice clarifies that construction can be advanced through new establishment or integration and optimization of existing institutions, and existing institutions should not simply be rebranded, to prevent "emphasis on rebranding over effectiveness."
The notice requires that the construction of specialized and innovative empowerment centers adhere to relevant principles, including focusing on demand—all service content, resource matching directions, and collaborative research topics should be based on the actual needs of small and medium-sized enterprises' specialized and innovative development, targeting real technological pain points and innovation weaknesses. Professional empowerment is required, closely revolving around specialized and innovative empowerment, focusing on hard technological innovation services, building professional teams, becoming reliable "innovation partners" for the specialized and innovative development of small and medium-sized enterprises, and providing full-chain, high-level, and professional innovation services.
The notice also proposes encouraging local governments to explore the construction of specialized and innovative empowerment centers based on local conditions and practical exploration, with construction content including but not limited to "establishing regular cooperation mechanisms with national laboratories, major scientific and technological infrastructure, manufacturing innovation centers, pilot testing platforms, public service platforms, inspection and testing institutions, and other innovation resources," "establishing regular docking mechanisms with leading industrial funds, venture capital funds, banks and insurance institutions, and other financial institutions," and "leveraging the role of large enterprises and leading enterprises to organize specialized and innovative small and medium-sized enterprises to participate in new technology and new product scenario trials."
Data shows that from January to August this year, the total profits of small and medium-sized industrial enterprises above designated size increased by 13.8% year-on-year, the highest level for the same period since 2022; the total profits of specialized and innovative "little giant" enterprises above designated size increased by 22.2% year-on-year, better than all industrial enterprises above designated size, strongly supporting the sustained recovery and improvement of the industrial economy. At a press conference held by the State Council Information Office on October 20, Wang Weiming, chief engineer of the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, stated that good resources should be connected. It is necessary to deepen the collaborative and integrated development of large, medium, and small enterprises, explore the construction of specialized and innovative empowerment centers by industry, accelerate the establishment of the second phase of the National Small and Medium-sized Enterprise Development Fund, drive more patient capital into seed-stage and early-stage enterprises, and enable more potential enterprises to receive support and grow with peace of mind.
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