Companies in the GBA | Small in Size, Big in Energy, the Tremendous Potential in Guangdong’s SMEs

Name the newly emerged hot spots in Guangzhou, China International Small and Medium Enterprises Fair in Pazhou is definitely at the top of the list. On November 18, the 19th China International Small and Medium Enterprises Fair came to a close, drawing more than 10,000 buyers and 120,000 visitors and generating intended transactions worth over CNY96 billion a year. Black tea from Sri Lanka, carpet from Nepal, massage chair from Canada, as well as a range of high-tech gadgets were all on display.

The attraction of this fair lies in the strong economy of Guangdong Province. As China’s top economic powerhouse, Guangdong not only cultivated world-renowned giants like Huawei and Tencent. As a matter of fact, SMEs are also an indispensable part of the prosperity of Guangdong’s economy.

From 2018 to 2023, the number of SMEs in Guangdong increased from over 3.8 million to more than 6.8 million, nearly doubling. The number of business entities in Guangdong accounts for about one-tenth of the national total, which means that out of every ten business owners in China, one is from Guangdong. 

Millions of SMEs have become the backbone of Guangdong’s economy. In 2022, the added value of Guangdong's private economy, dominated by SMEs, accounted for 54.1% of the province’s total economy.

SMEs are the main force of innovation. By the end of 2023, Guangdong had more than 27,000 so-called “Specialized, Refined, Differentiated, Innovative(SRDI) SMEs,” and over 42,000 are classified as Innovative SMEs, both ranking at the forefront nationwide. These SMEs are mostly in strategic industries including 5G, new energy, integrated circuits, and artificial intelligence. In emerging fields, many SMEs are racing, even leading, in developing popular products such as electric helicopters and humanoid robots. By the first half of 2024, a total of 53,000 invention patents have been granted to Guangdong’s SMEs, accounting for 68% of the total number of corporate invention patents in the province, up 63% year on year.

SMEs are also the mainstay of foreign trade. With an export value of private enterprises in Guangdong accounting for more than 60% of the province’s total, countless “Made in China” products are shipped to the world.

At the same time, SMEs are getting “smarter”. In the past five years, Guangdong pushed for digital transformation of over 30,000 large industrial enterprises in the province, with “cloud adoption” reaching more than 750,000 SMEs.

The unlimited potential of SMEs is by no means an illusive pipe dream, but a tangible reality. On the soil of opportunities, these SMEs will continue to stride forward and strive for excellence.

出品：南财国际传播中心 21新媒体中心 创意互动中心

策划统筹：于晓娜 丁青云

内容统筹：谭婷 谢珍

责任编辑：黄欣然

执行统筹：黄欣然 

设计统筹：林军明

视频统筹：白宇航

监制：施诗

英文翻译&配音：李莹亮

海外运营监制: 黄燕淑

海外运营内容统筹: 黄子豪

运营支持：曾静娇

审校：强燕 黄志明