An aerial photo of the Shenzhen River and urban vista in Shenzhen, Guangdong province, on Jan 7, 2020. [Photo/Xinhua]

Shenzhen has played an important role in the country's fight against the coronavirus pandemic by taking advantage of its edge in technology, and it will continue to develop that strength, a senior official in charge of the city's technological innovation said.

The city has contributed strength and wisdom in helping Guangdong province and even the whole country deal with the pandemic, Liang Yongsheng, director of the Shenzhen Technology Innovation Commission, said at a news conference on Tuesday.

The city allocated 200 million yuan ($28 million) in special technology funds to encourage scientific research and development related to pandemic prevention and control and to offer incentives encouraging researchers to make breakthroughs in science.

A number of research and development achievements and applications have won high praise from the World Health Organization, the country's regulators and media both at home and overseas, Liang said.

"We will continue to take measures to promote the healthy development of various innovative players and take full advantage of technology to contribute Shenzhen's strength to the fight against the coronavirus with a forward-looking vision and pragmatic moves," he said.

Lyu Jiancheng, deputy head of the Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, said the pandemic underscores the importance of developing a high-end medical equipment industry. There is also an urgent need for the country to push forward with domestic manufacturing, Lyu added.

Last month, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology approved the establishment of a national high-performance medical apparatus and innovative instruments center in Shenzhen. It was the country's first national-level innovation center in the medical device sector.

Lyu added that the ability to solve problems with the help of technology in face of major health threat is the most important thing that researchers need to focus on.

Apart from science, Shenzhen's enterprises have also played an active role in the process. Electric car maker BYD quickly shifted to the production of masks as the coronavirus spread like wildfire. The company managed to produce 5 million masks a day within a 24-day span, making it one of the world's largest suppliers.

Biotech company BGI has set up coronavirus testing laboratories in 12 Chinese cities, with the ability to test 70,000 people per day.

Medical equipment provider Mindray has provided more than 200,000 medical devices globally since the end of January, with more than 100,000 of those transported overseas.