Despite having fewer than 200 employees, Zhuzhou Times Huaxin New Material Technology Co Ltd has successfully entered the top tier of the global polyimide (PI) film industry thanks to its groundbreaking self-driving technology innovations.

PI films are known for their exceptional chemical stability, insulating property, radiation and corrosion resistance, as well as high- and low-temperature durability, earning them the title of "golden film".

Experts have said that with Chinese enterprises paying increasing attention to innovation-driven development, more local companies are expected to get a better position in global value chains.

The company has developed artificial graphite with high thermal conductivity, exceeding 2000 watts per meter-kelvin, and a single-layer thickness ranging from 17 to 100 μm, meeting the heat dissipation requirements of 5G and artificial intelligence terminals.

Thanks to that, it is currently the world's only PI film manufacturer capable of mass-producing high-thermal-flux graphite (thicker than 100 μm).

It is also the first company on the Chinese mainland and sixth in the world to adopt the advanced chemical imidization method for mass production of high-performance PI films more effectively.

Currently, there are two main synthesis methods for PI films: thermal imidization and chemical imidization. In China, most manufacturers use the traditional thermal imidization process. However, products produced using this method often suffer from instability in quality, with their performance showing a clear gap compared to similar products from foreign counterparts.

The chemical imidization process and equipment are relatively complex, but the products offer superior performance and stronger market competitiveness.

The company has an independent research team of over 110 professionals, including professor-level engineers and PhD experts. In the fields of polyimide resin, film materials manufacturing and equipment, it has developed a series of intellectual property rights and has been granted over 40 invention patents.

Tang Haitao, chairman of Zhuzhou Times Huaxin, said the company has broken the long-standing monopoly of foreign products in the market and has become one of the few in the world and the only one in China in the field of this high-end equipment.

Tang said that the company has also achieved a nearly 50 percent price reduction in similar products from the United States.

Zhuzhou Times Huaxin has also elevated artificial graphite from a supporting role in electronic terminal heat dissipation to the primary thermal management solution for power chips, thereby opening up new pathways for the technological upgrade of mainstream consumer electronic products in the downstream market.

The technological advancements of Chinese companies can reshape domestic markets by breaking foreign monopolies and ensuring the security of key material supplies, while also driving the upgrade of downstream industries, said Zhu Keli, founding director of the China Institute of New Economy.

"Internationally, Times Huaxin is an example of increasing competitiveness of Chinese small and medium-sized enterprises on global markets, which will help strengthen China's position in the global industrial chain," Zhu said.

To further support the development of small and medium-sized enterprises, companies like Zhuzhou Times Huaxin should increase their high-tech investment, optimize the financing environment, strengthen industry-academia collaboration and improve market protection mechanisms, Zhu said.

SMEs should also enhance international cooperation, striving for breakthroughs in core technologies, securing financial support, improving market competitiveness and boosting their global influence, he added.