Baotou --in North China’s Inner Mongolia autonomous region -- has been taking big strides in promoting scientific and technological innovation of businesses based in the city over the past few years, according to an Oct 9 Baotou Evening News report.

Since 2018, the city has spent a total of 660 million yuan ($93 million) to support the city's scientific and technological innovation and entrepreneurship development.

The city has put in place 270 million yuan in science and technology funding at the city level, focusing on supporting key equipment technologies such as the traditional equipment manufacturing industry and strategic emerging industries to promote the upgrade of local industries.

Also, the city obtained 141 million yuan worth of special science and technology funds at the autonomous region level.

This was spent to back major science and technology projects, the transformation of scientific and technological achievements and applications technology research and development.

It also went towards science and technology innovation and guiding projects, as well as natural science funds, scientific and technological talent, intellectual property rights and science popularization.

Baotou city has been implementing its Science and Technology "Little Giant" Enterprise cultivation project, and has added several high tech-based enterprises to the list.

Five enterprises in the city were selected in the first batch of Baotou Science and Technology “Little Giant” Enterprises.

According to the Ten Measures for Promoting Scientific and Technological Innovation in Baotou, enterprises that have been identified as a Science and Technology “Little Giant” Enterprise will be supported by means of government subsidy funds and equity investment. The subsidies total under 3 million yuan.

Since 2018, the city has invested a total of 155 million yuan in developing two national level technology incubators, three national level high-tech industrial bases and 180 R&D institutions at or above the municipal level.

To date, the city has established cooperation with more than 30 domestic institutions -- such as the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Tsinghua University and China Agricultural University.

It has implemented a number of industry-university-research cooperation projects and cooperated to build 43 academician workstations.