On September 3, the 21st China International Small and Medium Enterprises Fair (CISMEF), hosted by the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, opened in Guangzhou. A total of 102 enterprises from the Sichuan delegation participated in the fair, setting a record high across previous editions. Among them are 5 single-product champion enterprises in the manufacturing sector, 30 "little giant" enterprises that use specialized and sophisticated technologies to produce novel and unique products, and 34 provincial-level enterprises that use special and sophisticated technologies to produce novel and unique products.

Different from previous editions, this year's CISMEF marks the first time Sichuan has organized its exhibition booth around key industrial chains. Centered on the theme "Building Industrial Clusters for Smart Manufacturing, Forging Industrial Chain-Driven Growth for the Future", the Sichuan booth focuses on five advantageous sectors: artificial intelligence, aviation and aerospace, medicine and health, advanced materials, and communications and quantum technology. Among these, the artificial intelligence industrial chain boasts the largest number of participating enterprises, totaling 35.

In addition, a dedicated new-product launch platform has been set up for this year's CISMEF. Following a nationwide selection process conducted by the organizing committee, a total of 213 new products have been shortlisted, including four from two Sichuan-based enterprises, covering areas such as cybersecurity protection for teenagers, high-performance joint modules for robots, and artificial satellite turntables.

In recent years, Sichuan has fostered new quality productive forces in light of local conditions. Taking the building of industrial clusters and strengthening of industrial chains for key industries as an important lever, the province has striven to boost the quality and scale of its six advantageous industries, accelerating the development of a modern industrial system with distinctive Sichuan features and strengths. By the end of 2025, Sichuan was home to 19,775 small and medium-sized industrial enterprises above designated size, and more than 500 "little giant" enterprises that use specialized and sophisticated technologies to produce novel and unique products, ranking first in western China in terms of the number of such "little giant" enterprises. Sichuan has also cultivated a total of 21 national-level and 72 provincial-level specialized industrial clusters for small and medium-sized enterprises.