The Undersea Data Center (UDC), the largest of its kind in the world, in Sanya, South China s Hainan Province, has been operating soundly for eight months since it entered commercial operation in December 2022, becoming a pioneer in the global industry of commercializing undersea data centers.
Editor's Note: China aims to nurture 10,000 "little giants" from 2021 to 2025 amid an ambitious plan to trigger the vitality of small and medium-sized enterprises in its sprawling industrial economy. "Little giants" typically specialize in niche sectors, command high market shares and boast strong innovative capacity. To be termed a "little giant", a Chinese firm must see a minimum 5 percent year-on-year average growth rate of its main business income or net profit in the previous two years. More importantly, it must have two valid invention patents or other similar proof of its innovation capabilities and at least 3 percent of its top line must be dedicated to R&D, among other financial and operational criteria. China Daily explores how they help the world's second-largest economy stabilize its industrial and supply chains, navigate headwinds from the COVID-19 pandemic and achieve breakthroughs in technology bottlenecks.