Currently, Kunming Area of China (Yunnan) Pilot Free Trade Zone (hereinafter referred to as "Kunming Area") continues to provide around 37.6989 million Yuan R&D investment fund to subsidize hundreds of companies after sending out 24.1312 million Yuan "Red Envelops" of technology.

Kunming Area has stepped up investment in technology and spared no effort to support enterprises to maintain innovation momentum. During the past 4 years, the total capital of R&D investment expenses exceeded 110 million in this area. With precise guidance of policies, innovative motivation and capabilities of settled companies have been effectively improved.

A set of data shows that technological innovation has become the primary driver of development in Kunming Area. As of now, there are 182 high-tech enterprises in the, ranked as Top 2 in Yunnan province. This year, the number of new high-tech companies declared hits a record high and is expected to rise to 222 next year. Among 115 firms recommended, 98 had already passed the review on the municipal level. 

The total R&D investment increased from 891 million yuan in 2016 to around 1.885 billion yuan in 2020 with a 112% growth rate, topping the rank in all cities and counties in Yunnan province. The R&D/GDP rate reached 3.5%, higher than 0.95% on the provincial level and an average of 1.73% on the municipal level, taking the lead in Yunnan.

A number of companies have shown better performance on this innovation-driven road. Yunnan OLiGHTEK Opto-Electronic Technology Co., Ltd. independently developed active OLED microdisplays. It is the only domestic company and the second globally that can produce these microdisplays on a large scale. DEV (Dewei) series, T3 stage non-road engines developed by Kunming Yunnei Power Co., Ltd., sell well across China. The product "Qingxuwang" Xuesaitong soft capsules of Kunming Shenghuo Pharmaceutical (Group) Co.Ltd. is a renowned Yunnan product and a national protected variety of traditional Chinese medicine. It won the second prize of the National Science and Technology Progress Award and the first prize of the Science and Technology Award of Traditional Chinese Medicine's Chinese society.

At present, Kunming Area has formed several high-tech industrial clusters in various fields, like equipment manufacturing, bio-medicine and health, optoelectronic information, food processing, and so forth.

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(Editors: Ines, Rachel)