BEIJING - The lifespan of a standard photovoltaic cable is usually 15 years. However, it was only 8 years on western China's Qinghai-Tibet Plateau due to severe weather conditions such as the extreme temperature swings and intense ultraviolet exposure.

How to extend the lifespan of photovoltaic cables under such circumstances was a pressing question. Ounaite Cable Group Co Ltd, a private cable maker in Northwest China's Qinghai province, found its own solutions in the form of soybean oil and rapeseed oil, with both oils considered useful in modifying the properties of cables.

The company opted to apply a plasticizer extracted from soybean oil and rapeseed oil in the production process of its photovoltaic cables, thus enhancing their flexibility. It also used nano coatings to extend the lifespan of cable sheaths.

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Thanks to years of such innovative efforts, photovoltaic cables produced by the company remain flexible at temperatures as low as minus 40 degrees Celsius, while they can withstand corrosion and intense ultraviolet exposure in high-altitude conditions.

Ounaite Cable has so far achieved over 130 patents in this field, including 15 patents with independent property rights. Boasting around 10 percent of domestic market share in the photovoltaic power transmission and engineering sectors, the company has also successfully entered the global market.

"Strengthening independent innovation is the key to our leap from catching up to leading the pack," said Yang Zhentao, chairman of Ounaite Cable. He noted that the company's annual production of photovoltaic cables currently reaches 120,000 kilometers -- enough to circle the Earth three times.

The company has maintained stable expansion in 2025 with orders increasing by 45 percent year-on-year in the first five months, Yang revealed, adding that it aims for an output value of 20 billion yuan (about $2.8 billion) by next year, as a new investment project worth 100 million yuan had commenced construction in June.

Ounaite Cable's growth from a micro firm to a national high-tech enterprise and a member of China's "little giants" is not an isolated case. "Little giant" firms represent the novel elites of small and medium-sized enterprises that specialize in a niche market, boast cutting-edge technologies and show great potential.

Hainan Huayan Collagen Technology Co Ltd, another national high-tech enterprise, which is based in South China's Hainan province, has successfully developed a new fish collagen peptide product, filling a void in the global market for cyclic dipeptide products made from fish.

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This outcome was achieved after a research team had spent over two years conducting nearly 3,000 experiments, said Zhao Zifang, manager of the company's research and development center.

The company has put two production lines into operation, resulting in an annual output of 4,500 tonnes of fish collagen peptides -- and these products have been exported to more than 50 countries and regions.

Despite ongoing economic hardships, the rise of innovation-driven private companies is injecting new vitality into the Chinese economy.

Official data from the State Administration for Market Regulation showed that the number of private enterprises in China had exceeded 57 million by the end of March 2025 -- accounting for 92.3 percent of all businesses nationwide.

In the first quarter of the year, 1.979 million private firms were established, marking an increase of 7.1 percent from a year earlier and outpacing the average growth recorded over the past three years.

This fast expansion of the private sector follows scaled up efforts by Chinese authorities to support private firms in recent years. This has been done via a series of government policies aimed at easing the financial burdens of private companies, fostering innovation and creating a more favorable business environment.

Among the most notable measures, China's legislative body has passed the landmark private sector promotion law -- establishing legal backing for the steady and healthy growth of this vast sector.

The introduction of this law has provided private firms with a sense of reassurance, said Liu Saisai, executive deputy general manager of Huayan Collagen. "With the legal safeguard, we are more confident in expanding our investments and contributing to national economic development," Liu explained.

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In the latest push to boost scientific research and industrial innovation, the National Natural Science Foundation of China on Monday launched the Private Enterprise Innovation and Development Joint Fund, which aims to empower private companies to officially participate in national basic research.

Under the fund's framework, private enterprises will identify critical research challenges based on their specific innovation needs -- and the joint fund will sponsor top researchers nationwide to tackle these defined problems.

Designed to foster deep integration between technological and industrial innovation, analysts noted that this approach is expected to energize private sector innovation, and inject fresh momentum into China's innovation-driven development strategy.