The 2017 List of Qingdao’s Obscure Champion Industrial SMEs was announced recently. The 20 winners of the title are concentrated in the businesses of machinery and other equipment, energy conservation and environmental protection, new materials, electrical appliances, shoes and hats, and robots. They are all national bellwethers of their respective industries.

These enterprises are called “obscure champions” because though not large in size and not well known to the general public, they are very influential and competitive in their respective market segments nationally and even globally.

The selection for the title was aimed at fostering a spirit of perseverance like that of spending ten years sharpening a sword in SMEs through the obscure champions playing an exemplary and guiding role and the government offering policy support.

Qingdao hopes that by being focused on innovation, product quality improvement and brand cultivation in different market segments, the city’s SMEs who provide specialist, nuanced, distinctive and innovative products and services can become national “obscure champions,” and then continue to become better and stronger so as to help boost the core competitiveness of Qingdao’s manufacturing industry and make the industry more efficient and go up one notch after another.