Hunnan district in Shenyang city -- at the forefront of technology innovation and industry upgrading in Liaoning province -- made great progress in modernizing its industrial supply chains in 2019, according to local officials.

Statistics from the government of Hunnan revealed that 194 high-tech enterprises were established in the district last year, bringing the total to 532; and 420 new small and medium-sized technology-based enterprises were established, bringing the total of those to 755.

The number of national-level gazelle companies – high-growth businesses -- in Hunnan reached 11 and the provincial-level gazelles reached 13, with both ranking the first among the districts and development zones in Liaoning.

A gazelle company -- a term coined by US economist David Birch in the 1990s -- describes a typically small publicly traded company with an annual growth rate of 20 percent or more in sales revenue from start-up.

In addition, scientific research institutes in Hunnan reached 180; and after the national comprehensive ranking of Shenyang Hi-tech Zone in Hunnan jumped five places in 2018, it moved up two places again in 2019.

Officials said that in 2020, Hunnan will continue to optimize and adjust its functions, cultivate and expand its high-tech industry, build a smart manufacturing base with strong core competitiveness, construct the largest new energy vehicle assembly base in Northeast China and develop a leading domestic large health industry base.

They said industry development in Hunnan will focus on intelligent manufacturing, new energy vehicles, biomedicines and health care, sports and leisure

To promote the successful completion of the target as scheduled, Hunnan will provide 500 million yuan ($72.2 million) in subsidies to carry out the 20 high-tech industry promotion policies it launched last year.