2020 Chinese Software and Information Technology Services Enterprise Competitiveness Index Report

The China Electronics Information Industry Federation released a "Software and Information Technology Services Enterprise Competitiveness Index" (Enterprise Competitiveness Index) to quantitatively assess the operational status and competitiveness of software and IT service firms, using multi‑dimensional indicators such as scale, efficiency, quality, technology, R&D, and social responsibility.

The index is benchmarked against an industry average score of 100 points and divided into five levels: Strong (120+), Relatively Strong (105‑120), Medium (95‑105), Relatively Weak (80‑95), and Weak (below 80). In 2019, about 160 enterprises scored above 120 points, with 120 exceeding 130 points.

Key findings for the top‑100 enterprises include:

1. Continuous scale growth: Combined software revenue reached CNY 1.782 trillion, a 17.5% YoY increase, outpacing the industry average by 2.1 percentage points; 21 firms had revenues over CNY 100 billion, and total profit was CNY 495 billion, 13.5% YoY, 3.6 points above the industry average.

2. Significant innovation outcomes: R&D investment totaled CNY 317.7 billion (25% YoY), exceeding revenue growth by 7.5 points; average R&D intensity surpassed 10%; software copyright registrations exceeded 40 k and authorized patents over 160 k, with inventions accounting for more than half.

3. Deepening open cooperation: Enterprises expanded overseas, achieving over US$40 billion in export revenue (10% of total); major players such as Huawei, Tencent, and Alibaba entered global top‑10 valuations and received international recognitions.

4. Enhanced supporting role: The "software‑defined" trend drove digital transformation across manufacturing, finance, logistics, and other sectors, raising automation and digital tool adoption rates in industry to 50.1% and 70.2% respectively, and fostering new economic models like platform and algorithm economies.

The report also lists the 2020 top‑100 software and IT service enterprises, including Huawei, Tencent, Alibaba, Baidu, China Telecom, and many others, illustrating the sector's leading players.

In a video address, Ministry of Industry and Information Technology Deputy Minister Wang Zhijun highlighted four priority areas for the next development phase: (1) cultivating new domestic demand drivers; (2) strengthening key software supply by advancing core technologies such as cloud computing, big data, AI, and 5G; (3) continuously optimizing the industry environment through policies, talent cultivation, and open‑source ecosystems; and (4) deepening open cooperation domestically and internationally to integrate Chinese software innovation into the global ecosystem.