Baotou Rare Earth High-Tech Industrial Development Zone in Baotou, North China's Inner Mongolia autonomous region, ranked 89th in the comprehensive ranking of high-tech zones in China in 2020, five places higher than it achieved in 2019.

The ranking was calculated following an evaluation by the Torch High Technology Industry Development Center Ministry of Science and Technology.

In recent years, the city's high-tech zone has implemented an innovation-driven development strategy. It has accelerated the gathering of high-tech enterprises, advanced technology, high-end talents, investment funds, innovation platforms and other elements. Scientific and technological innovation has achieved remarkable results in promoting industrial development.

A number of scientific and technological innovation indicators rank high in the city.

As of the end of 2020, the high-tech zone had 116 national high-tech enterprises, accounting for 53.9 percent of the city's total and 10.8 percent of the autonomous region's total. There were 41 high-tech small and medium-sized enterprises in the zone, accounting for 66 percent of the city's total and 7.5 percent of the autonomous region's total.

Among the industrial enterprises above a designated size, the added value of high-tech enterprises was 5.49 billion yuan ($847 million), accounting for 56.5 percent of the added value of industries above a designated size.

A total of 119 innovative R&D platforms of various levels have been built. Of these, R&D platforms at the autonomous region level and above account for 57 percent.

In 2020, the registered value of technology contracts in the high-tech zone reached 276 million yuan, accounting for 59 percent of the city's total.