Zhoushan, Zhejiang province, will focus on 200 projects to boost its manufacturing sector, according to the city's economy and information technology department. The projects mainly deal with intelligent renovations, industrial upgrading and digitalization, and innovation.

The city ranked first in the province in growth of industrial economy and investment in 2019, said Zhu Deyao, director of the department's economic operation division.

Zhu said that both the output and value-added amount of the city's industries above the designated scale (industries with annual revenue of more than $2.83 million) grew by 70 percent year-on-year in the first two months of 2020, ranking top in the province, despite the COVID-19 epidemic,

"We have used machines to improve our efficiency and expand our capacity," said Zhou Jianhua, general manager of the COSCO Shipping Heavy Industry Co. "Our ship repair revenue in the first half of 2020 is expected to increase nearly 80 percent year-on-year."

Zhou added that the company will expand its luxury liner repair businesses in the future.

OceanHealth Food Co has been planning to sell its aquatic products on T-Mall and JD e-commerce platforms to expand its domestic market, according to the deputy general manager, Lin Mingze, as its foreign trade was faced with great difficulties due to the increasingly severe epidemic overseas.

"The key to manufacturing development lies in innovation," said Zhu Deyao, director of the economic operation division of the city's economy and information technology department, adding the city has decided to roll out specific measures to boost innovation.

The city recently announced that it will grant subsidies of up to 5 million yuan ($706,800) to companies that will conduct renovations by using intelligent technologies, pursue innovation, and develop the industrial internet and digital infrastructure.