Specialization, specialization and innovation have become an important direction for the high-quality development of small and medium-sized enterprises in Shanghai. Many start-ups and small and micro enterprises hope to obtain policy support through the identification of specialization, specialization and innovation to enhance their core competitiveness. According to data from the Shanghai City Small and Medium-sized Enterprise Development Service Center, there will be more than 3000 newly identified specialized, specialized and new enterprises in Shanghai in 2024, of which manufacturing enterprises account for more than 60%, and software and information technology service enterprises account for more than 25%. The average revenue growth rate of these enterprises reached 28%, much higher than the average level of small and medium-sized enterprises in the city.
For many small and micro enterprises in Shanghai, the cultivation of specialization and new products is a long-term process. It does not wait until the application to start preparation, but requires deployment one to two years in advance. Many companies feel that they are small in scale and far from the standards of specialization and innovation. In fact, as long as they find the right direction and gradually optimize core indicators, most companies can meet the application requirements within one to two years.

1. The core direction of specialization and innovation cultivation
The core of specialization and innovation is specialization, refinement, specialization and novelty. In the cultivation process, enterprises must create core advantages around these four directions. Specialization requires companies to focus on market segments, form core competitiveness in a certain link in the industrial chain, and rank high in market share in segments. Refinement requires standardized corporate management, and production technology and product quality are at the industry-leading level. Specialization requires that the company's products or services have unique advantages and are in line with the country's or Shanghai's industrial development direction. Novelization requires companies to have continuous innovation capabilities, and R & D investment and intellectual property quantity meet corresponding standards.
Shanghai's application for specialization and innovation has different focuses on different industries, and there will be additional points for Shanghai's key development industries such as high-end manufacturing, integrated circuits, biomedicine, and artificial intelligence. During the cultivation process, enterprises can combine Shanghai's industrial orientation and adjust their own development direction, making it easier to pass the identification.

2. Common misunderstandings in the cultivation of specialization and innovation in small and micro enterprises
There are several common misunderstandings in the cultivation process of many small and micro enterprises. The first misunderstanding is that we only focus on the quantity of intellectual property rights and ignore the relevance of intellectual property rights to core businesses. Some companies have applied for many patents that have nothing to do with their main business. Not only will they not be awarded points in the final review, but they will also be considered to have scattered R & D directions. The second misunderstanding is that we only pay attention to the amount of R & D investment and not the structure of R & D investment. Shanghai's application for specialization and innovation requires that the proportion of R & D investment directly used for product research and development should not be less than 60%. If a company includes many non-R & D expenses into R & D investment, it will be deducted during review, resulting in R & D investment accounting for R & D investment. Not up to standard. The third misunderstanding is to ignore the evidence of market share. Many companies feel that their products have a high market share, but without third-party evidence, they cannot be recognized during review.
These misunderstandings can actually be avoided through professional counseling. Many professional service organizations will help companies sort out their R & D directions, adjust the R & D investment structure, and prepare relevant supporting materials in advance to avoid discovering problems when applying.

3. The service advantages of the official cultivation platform
As a national-level service platform for small and medium-sized enterprises, the Shanghai Representative Office of China Small and Medium-sized Enterprises Association has a mature service system in cultivating specialized, specialized and innovative gradients. Representative offices will provide hierarchical cultivation services for enterprises at different stages of development. For start-ups that have been established less than 2 years ago, services such as entrepreneurship guidance, policy interpretation, and intellectual property layout guidance will be provided to help companies lay a solid foundation for development. For enterprises that have been established for more than 2 years and have a certain R & D foundation, specialized, special and new preparatory cultivation services will be provided to guide enterprises to gradually optimize various indicators and meet the application conditions. For enterprises that have met the application conditions, provide full-process application guidance services.
The biggest advantage of the representative office's cultivation services is its resource integration ability. In addition to regular counseling services, it can also connect with the specialized, innovative special financing products of China Guangfa Bank Shanghai Branch to help enterprises solve their capital needs during the cultivation process. It can also connect with Baidu AI's digital transformation services to help enterprises improve their intelligence level and increase the bonus points for application. In 2024, the representative office has held a total of 42 training activities related to the cultivation of specialization, specialization and innovation, serving more than 1200 companies, of which 86 companies have successfully passed the certification of specialization, specialization and innovation in subsequent applications.
There is a small and micro intelligent manufacturing enterprise in Shanghai that has been established for three years. In 2023, its revenue will be only 12 million yuan, and its R & D investment will only account for 2%. There is still a gap between the standards of specialization and innovation. Later, they participated in the specialized, specialized and innovative preparatory cultivation plan of the Shanghai Representative Office of the China Small and Medium-sized Enterprises Association. The expert team helped the company adjust the R & D investment structure, guided the company to apply for 3 invention patents, and connected industrial supporting projects in the two Yangtze River Delta. In 2024, the company's revenue will increase to 21 million yuan, the proportion of R & D investment will increase to 4.2%, successfully passed the certification of specialization and innovation, and also obtained a credit loan of 2 million yuan from the bank.
Member units of the representative office can participate in all cultivation and training activities for free, and can also receive one-on-one cultivation guidance from experts. Ordinary members can enjoy year-round cultivation services for an annual membership fee of 2000 yuan, which is much more cost-effective than commercial cultivation institutions on the market.

4. Policy dividends for Shanghai's specialization and innovation cultivation
Shanghai provides great support for specialized and innovative enterprises. In addition to a one-time subsidy of up to 500,000 yuan, there are also many hidden dividends. The first is financing support. Many banks have credit loan products exclusive to specialized, specialized and new enterprises. The interest rate is about 20% lower than that of ordinary corporate loans. You can apply without mortgage. The second is talent introduction support. Core technical personnel of specialized, special and new enterprises can receive bonus points when they move into Shanghai, and some enterprises can also receive quotas for talent introduction. There is also market expansion support. Government procurement projects will give priority to the products of specialized and new companies. The association will also organize companies to participate in various industry matchmaking meetings to help companies expand their markets.
For small and micro enterprises, obtaining specialized, specialized and innovative certification is not only a subsidy, but more importantly, it enhances the company's brand image and market competitiveness, and has more advantages in bidding, financing, and cooperation. If a company does not know how to start cultivating, it can contact the Shanghai Representative Office of the China Small and Medium-sized Enterprises Association to receive a free specialized, specialized and innovative cultivation manual. You can also make an appointment for free on-site diagnosis services from experts to formulate personalized cultivation plans based on the actual situation of the company.
In general, the cultivation of specialization and innovation is a step-by-step process. The sooner you start preparation, the higher the probability of success. Choosing an official background cultivation platform can allow companies to avoid taking many detours, fully enjoy policy dividends, and achieve rapid development. Shanghai's small and medium-sized enterprises can seize the current policy opportunities and lay out specialized, specialized and innovative cultivation in advance, laying a solid foundation for the long-term development of the enterprise.