Zhoushan in East China's Zhejiang province has ramped up its efforts to achieve development via innovation over the past five years, local media reported on Dec 27.

During this period, the Zhoushan municipal government has given priority to the construction of an innovative city by implementing policies and streamlining administrative procedures for technology-based companies.

The city has been responsible for 170 key technological projects, including 35 at provincial or above level, and has created 51 innovation platforms by cooperating with Ningbo Institute of Materials Technology and Engineering, Tongji University, and other universities and institutes.

One hundred and sixty patents have been put into industrial application, 2,684 patents have been certified, and 12.8 billion yuan ($1.96 billion) worth of technologies has been traded from 2016 to 2020.

Zhoushan has also won 27 science and technology awards, including three national awards, in the past five years.

The number of high-tech companies in the city increased from 66 in 2016 to 180 in 2019, while the number of small and medium-sized technology-based companies grew from 464 to 959 in the same period.

The proportion of industrial companies above designated size having research and development institutes also improved from 33.33 percent in 2016 to 54.79 percent in 2019.

In addition, Zhoushan has brought the benefits of technological achievements to its residents over the past five years by sending technology personnel to offer guidance to local farmers and fishermen.