The General Office of the People's Government of Fujian Province has recently released a notice on Several Measures to Further Support the Development of Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs) that Use Specialized and Sophisticated Technologies to Produce Novel and Unique Products in Fujian Province (hereinafter referred to as Several Measures). The objective of these measures is to foster and enhance these enterprises in order to offer robust assistance for the advancement of new high-quality productive forces.
The Several Measures propose, firstly, to enhance policy support. Newly identified "Little Giant" enterprises that use specialized and sophisticated technologies to produce novel and unique products will receive a one-time reward of RMB 1 million from provincial finances. Local governments are encouraged to offer policy assistance to newly recognized innovation-driven SMEs, provincial-level SMEs and "Little Giant" enterprises that both use specialized and sophisticated technologies to produce novel and unique products. They shall also facilitate the concentration of resources such as land, capital, technology, talent, and data towards these enterprises.
Secondly, the Measures encourage the attraction of "Little Giant" enterprises that use specialized and sophisticated technologies to produce novel and unique products. The focus will be on key links of the industrial chain, where these "Little Giant" enterprises can be drawn in and incorporated to fill gaps, strengthen deficiencies, and propel industry growth. Local governments are encouraged to develop supportive policies in accordance with decision-making procedures through a "one case, one discussion" approach for such "Little Giant" enterprises that have relocated to Fujian and continue their operations within the specified timeframe. The effectiveness of attracting and landing such "Little Giant" enterprises will be integrated into relevant governmental evaluations as necessary. Additionally, there will be regular updates on the tiered progress of cultivating high-quality SMEs in different regions.
Thirdly, the Measures emphasize the development of research and development institutions. SMEs that use specialized and sophisticated technologies to produce novel and unique products are supported in establishing R&D institutions independently or in collaboration with higher education institutions and research institutions. They are also supported in setting up technology research institutes, enterprise technology centers, enterprise engineering centers, academicians and expert workstations, and post-doctoral workstations. R&D institutions that are under construction or have not yet met the necessary certification standards will receive priority support by being archived and included in the database. The procurement and sharing of large scientific instruments and equipment are also supported. Any large scientific instruments and equipment purchased by provincial universities and research institutes using financial funds, which cost more than RMB 300,000, should be shared with enterprises. SMEs that use specialized and sophisticated technologies to produce novel and unique products will also receive support in spearheading the establishment of innovation consortia to conduct scientific research or build platforms. Consortia seeking funding support for “Name-and-Claim” scientific research breakthrough projects may receive up to RMB 10 million. The segmented subsidy policy for enterprise R&D funding will be enhanced by incorporating high-tech enterprises and SMEs that use specialized and sophisticated technologies to produce novel and unique products into the primary support scope. The goal is to implement more precise and effective subsidy methods to encourage enterprises to boost their R&D investment.