The number of high-tech small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Taiyuan city, capital of North China's Shanxi province, surged to 4,310 in the first half of 2020, representing year-on-year growth of 129 percent, according to local officials on Aug 25.

At the start of the year, Taiyuan began rolling out policies and incentives for scientific and technological innovation. 

The city also put together plans for a 147 million yuan ($21.35 million) support fund and actively helped 967 enterprises tackle key technological problems, as well as carry out scientific and technological innovation activities.

In addition, Taiyuan became the only city representative of innovation development at the 2020 National Science and Technology Work Conference held in January in Beijing, which conference organizers said reflected the increasing innovation influence of the city. 

Meanwhile, 11 local maker spaces were recognized as national-level maker spaces during the first six months. 

Officials said that Tsinghua University in Beijing also established a branch of the national engineering research center for industrial boiler and civil coal clean combustion in Taiyuan during the period.