“Shenzhen Design” Boosts High-quality Urban Development

As a city born with design genes, Shenzhen has witnessed a flourishing creative and design industry since it became the laureate of UNESCO City of Design in 2008. In the past fifteen years, the megacity has evolved from the world's factory to an upgrading manufacturing powerhouse and further to an international hub of innovation and creativity. "Shenzhen Design" has not only served as an important platform for the city's industrial transformation and upgrading, but has also become a new growth engine for its high-quality economic development.

After years of accumulation and development, "Shenzhen Design" has become an important pioneering and leading game changer as an industrial leader in China with global visibility.

"City of Design" promotes the city's visibility and reputation

With rapid urbanization and booming commercial activities, and with "design" running in its blood, Shenzhen has seen its design industry emerge and develop rapidly in the 1990s. The city took the lead in implementing the strategy of building a city through cultural development, and proposed to build a "City of Design" in 2003. It was awarded the title of "City of Design" by UNESCO in 2008, becoming the first city in China to win this honor.

In recent years, the Shenzhen Municipal Party Committee and Shenzhen Municipal People's Government have taken multiple measures such as policy support, industry guidance, and resource matchmaking and spared no effort in supporting the innovative development of "Shenzhen Design", delivering remarkable results. At present, the city has 33,000 creative design service entities, over 30 listed design companies, and over 220,000 designers. Its cultural creativity and design revenue exceeds RMB 1 trillion, with graphic design, industrial design, and design in clothing, furniture and jewelry categories leading the country.

Today, with the shinning reputation of the "City of Design", Shenzhen has emerged as an important city for young designers and a design pioneer worldwide.

"Shenzhen Design" injects new momentum to boost the acceleration and upgrading of the manufacturing industry

Shenzhen has always attached great importance to the innovation of industrial design and vigorously promoted its high-quality development. In 2012, Shenzhen rolled out the first local policy on industrial design in China. In the 11 years since then, it has seen the annual revenue of professional services in industrial design jump by 12 times, which has a significant impact on improving the quality and efficiency of the manufacturing industry.

Shenzhen has always provided a broad platform and development space for innovative design talents around the world, further integrating its creative design with emerging industries.

"Shenzhen Design" lights up the fashion industry to activate the vitality engine.

Shenzhen has become one of the most developed cities in China's fashion industry, with a total economic output ranking among the top. There are over 2,500 clothing enterprises in Shenzhen, of which more than 90% are independent brands. They take up a market share of over 60% in first-tier shopping malls in large and medium-sized cities across the country, with an annual total sales of nearly RMB 270 billion, accounting for 10% of the national total.

Behind the impressive data lies the 40 years of rapid progress in Shenzhen's fashion design industry. As one of the most representative high-end industries, the fashion industry is not only closely related to the manufacturing and service industries, but also requires heavy investment in research and development as well as creativity to inject ultra-high added value into products.

As an important platform to promote the city's image, leading fashion trends, driving fashion consumption, and promoting industrial development, the recently held Shenzhen Fashion Week bore the innovative feature and technological advantages of the city. The Shenzhen Fashion Week has always emphasized the combination of design and its industrial value. In recent years, trade shows during Shenzhen Fashion Week are scaling up with increasing commercial influence, effectively improving the consumer experience, activating potential consumption, and highlighting the brilliant charm of Shenzhen fashion.

After over four decades of rapid development, Shenzhen has become a globally renowned high-tech city. In key urban areas, Shenzhen has adhered to using urban design methods to create distinctive features, carry forward its cultural heritage, and create a unique city image.

Fifteen years of development is a fruitful achievement and a fresh starting point for Shenzhen as a "City of Design". "Shenzhen Design" is always on the road, moving forward ceaselessly into the future.

Source: Shenzhen Municipal People's Government