A total of 50 sci-tech industrial projects being developed in East Lake High-tech Development Zone -- also known as Optics Valley and located in Wuhan, capital of Central China's Hubei province -- have received national recognition.

They were selected as special national projects in a key plan launched by the Ministry of Science and Technology.

That's according to local officials, talking on July 13 at the 121st news conference held by Hubei province's prevention and control headquarters for the novel coronavirus.

At the conference, officials said that the provincial department of science and technology organized for Hubei companies' 2,000 industrial projects to apply for recognition in the national key plan named "2020 science and technology spur economy".

Of these, 50 Optics Valley projects were shortlisted.

Officials added that, among the 2,000 projects in Hubei that applied, 219 projects were shortlisted and secured funds of 109.5 million yuan ($15.64 million), nearly four times that of other provinces.

They said that "2020 science and technology spur economy" was the first key scientific and technological plan released by the Ministry of Science and Technology this year.

It aims to support a number of technological innovation projects covering major industries in the national economy.

These focus on scientific research projects with good market potential in the fields of information technology, intelligent manufacturing, new materials, new energy, and intelligent transportation.

Officials said that those who are particularly interested in can form innovative products in the short term, gain economic benefits and have a direct role in promoting the resumption of work and production in China -- so as to help a number of excellent scientific and technological enterprises overcome the short-term difficulties brought about by the coronavirus pandemic.