Zhang Yang

nicolezyyy@163.com

MAKER Faire Shenzhen 2017, an annual gathering where global makers exchange ideas and display their creations, will be hosted at Shenzhen Polytechnic in Nanshan District from Nov. 10 to 12.

Maker teams from nearly 30 countries will attend this year’s event, according to a press conference held by the event’s organizers yesterday.

The first Maker Faire event was hosted in the United States in 2006, followed by more events held in countries across the globe. Chaihuo Maker Space, a maker space created and sponsored by Seeed Studio in Shenzhen, has organized Maker Faire Shenzhen the past five years.

“Many foreign makers are interested in getting access to the industrial resources in Shenzhen,” said Eric Pan, founder of Chaihuo Maker Space. He said Maker Faire offers a good opportunity for makers from across the globe to learn about maker culture, build connections and gain resources in Shenzhen.

According to him, nearly 100 companies from the traditional industry in Shenzhen will attend the event as visitors, looking for well-matched maker projects for further cooperation. “Maker Faire Shenzhen will work as a bridge to connect innovative brains from around the world with local traditional industries in Shenzhen,” Pan said.

Exhibitions, workshops and performances will be held during this year’s Maker Faire. A range of performances, such as a maker magic show and water light graffiti, are scheduled. Other hands-on activities and more than 30 workshops will be held, encouraging visitors to create things with their own hands.

Over 200 exhibitors from nearly 30 countries will attend Maker Faire this year. Nearly 30 globally renowned makers are invited to the event as guest speakers, including Tomas Diez, head of Fab Lab in Barcelona, and Massimo Banzi, co-founder of the open-source electronic prototyping platform Arduino.

Chen Qiuming, Party chief of Shenzhen Polytechnic, said the university is dedicated to becoming a “cradle of entrepreneurs” and it has set up a complete entrepreneurship education system for its students. “Around 12.7 percent of students start their own businesses within three years of graduating from our university,” Chen said.

In 2014, 119 independently produced Mini and 14 Featured Maker Faires occurred in cities around the world, including Tokyo, Rome, Detroit, Oslo and Shenzhen. Maker Faire Shenzhen upgraded from Mini level to Featured level in 2014, becoming the 7th in the world. It was a highlight event during the Maker Week organized by the Shenzhen Municipal Government last year.