In Qingdao, a group of low-profile manufacturers are quietly shaping global industries.

Known as national single-product champions in manufacturing, these 45 companies — 23 of which hold the world's top market share in their niches — represent less than 1 percent of the city's major industrial enterprises. Yet they account for 19.7 percent of value-added growth and 32.5 percent of industrial profits.

At Sailun Tire's Qingdao plant, a giant tire catches everyone's eye. At over four meters in diameter and weighing six metric tons, it is the largest mass-produced tire in the world, used for engineering vehicles.

Such mega tires are technologically challenging to make, with only eight manufacturers globally capable of producing them. Giants like Michelin sell similar tires for 600,000 yuan ($86,380.2) to 700,000 yuan each.

After more than a decade of R&D, Sailun is able to independently develop and produce specialty giant tires, reducing reliance on high-end foreign imports. It now ranks first in China and third globally in market share for such products.

As a new national single-product champion in manufacturing, Sailun exemplifies how traditional industries can innovate.

To date, Qingdao has nurtured 45 such champions, including 16 in smart equipment, eight in smart appliances, and five in the modern light industry.

These champions have moved beyond competing on price or scale. Through continuous innovation, they now rival global leaders in high-end markets and are becoming trailblazers, driving industry progress worldwide with an increasing number of global breakthroughs.

In Qingdao, a group of low-profile manufacturers quietly shape global industries. [Photo/Guanhai News]