Anne Zhang

    zhangy49@gmail.com

    MORE than 100 officials and well-known design professionals attended the opening ceremony of the Sino-Finnish Design Park in Futian District on Friday.

    Located in the Funian Square of Futian Bonded Zone, the park consists of a six-story building with different service providers, including a public service platform, an innovative-projects incubator for young designers, an international design talent training and certification center and the headquarters for several design companies.

    The park is part of cooperation efforts between Shenzhen and Finland’s capital, Helsinki, after Shenzhen Mayor Xu Qin signed a joint memorandum of understanding with Helsinki Mayor Jussi Pajunen last year.

    “Shenzhen is a very important and highly appreciated partner for Helsinki. The city is a dynamic window into contemporary China and one of the most active cities in China to interact with the world,” Pajunen said. “I hope the Sino-Finnish Design Park will help Chinese and Finnish companies meet and get to know each other, and eventually to find ways to do business together.”

    One of the highlights of the park is Studio Kukkapura on the first floor. Named after Finland’s internationally known designer Yrjo Kukkapuro, the exhibition features some classic works by Kukkapura from the past half-century, which are regarded as the essence of Finnish design.

    On the same floor is the Sino-Finnish Design Park Exhibition Center, which, using multimedia platforms, showcases an array of design products from well-known local and foreign design companies including Shenzhen LKK Design Co., Shenzhen-based CBON Design and Consulting Co. and Giovannoni Design, a studio of Italy’s design master Stefano Giovannoni.

    More than 80 percent of the space in the design park has been occupied by design companies from home like LKK, CBON, Rito Group, CSH Design Co., ED Design, and abroad, such as Avarte Furniture Co. from Finland and Giovannoni Design and Studio O from Italy.

    Karim Rashid, a renowned industrial designer from the United States, said he is considering setting up an office in the park.

    A Sino-Finnish Design Center has been set up to manage the park, bridge the cooperation between Chinese and foreign companies and help international companies overcome the difficulties of seeking cooperation.

    Shirley Feng, secretary general of Shenzhen Industrial Design Profession Association, said the park will be a platform for exchanging the latest design information and helping Shenzhen designers improve their concepts and gain more international business opportunities.

    Enterprises that enter the park will enjoy rental subsidies from the Shenzhen Municipal Government, including a matching subsidy for an area less than 500 square meters and a subsidy of 15 yuan (US$2.46) per square meter per month for an area less than 500 square meters for the first three years.

    They are also exempt from import duties and enjoy reduction of business income taxes and export-targeted tax rebates.