THE city’s first base for specialized and sophisticated company headquarters was inaugurated at Huizhi Research and Development Center in Bao’an District on Friday, signing contracts with 28 industry-leading companies on site, including 16 State-level “little giants.”

Among the 16 national “little giants,” nine are listed or pre-IPO firms, according to a report by Shenzhen Special Zone Daily. “Little giants” typically specialize in niche sectors, command high market shares and boast strong innovative capacity.

At the Huizhi center, industrial space lease and agreements of intent on purchase were inked. The center, located at the Bao’an campus of Shenzhen High-tech Industry Area, covers a 310,000-square-meter construction area with a total investment of 3.58 billion yuan (US$501 million).

The center will provide companies with services for finance, complete industrial chain and industrial internet, as well as operation and value-added businesses, in a bid to help them address business difficulties, empower industrial value and strengthen market competitiveness.

Bao’an has spearheaded fostering and supporting technologically advanced small and medium-sized enterprises. In the first half of this month, 18 high-quality companies chose to settle in the district’s Xuehua Science and Technology Town, which is set to be put into use by 2025.

In June, Shenzhen unveiled plans to develop and bolster 20 strategic emerging sectors and nurture eight future industries. Among the city’s 20 strategic industrial clusters, 15 have been mainly based in Bao’an.

Bao’an is working full steam ahead to build itself into a world-class advanced manufacture base. Last month, it released a key strategy that highlights four advanced manufacturing areas: Yanluo International Intelligent Manufacturing Ecology Town, Shiyan Technological Innovation Town, Shenzhen-Hong Kong Advanced Manufacturing Cooperation Area and Xinqiao East Advanced Manufacturing Industrial Park.

The industrial areas are expected to make Bao’an more attractive to strategic projects, said Lan Quan, a Bao’an government official. In the future, the government plans to offer more spaces with better locations and lower prices.

Bao’an is now home to 134 technologically advanced “little giants,” ranking first among Guangdong Province’s districts and counties. The number of Bao’an’s specialized and sophisticated firms at provincial and municipal levels, and national high-tech companies have reached 260, 879 and 6,759, respectively.

(Xia Yuanjie)