Zhang Yu

JeniZhang13@163.com

MORE than 500 design professionals, business leaders, representatives of design companies and government officials attended the opening ceremony of the 12th China (Shenzhen) International Industrial Design Festival (CIIDF), which was staged at the MJH International Art Design Center (iADC) in Bao’an District, Shenzhen, yesterday.

This year’s CIIDF, themed “Design Empowerment·Radiant Intelligent Manufacturing,” has selected the Macao Special Administrative Region as the guest city of honor in a bid to promote economic exchanges, give full play to the complementary advantages of each other’s resources and jointly build a platform for cultural tourism innovation.

Lou Yanfeng, vice head of Bao’an District, stressed at the ceremony that industrial design is the source of the value chain and at the front of the innovation chain, playing an indispensable role in optimizing the economic structure, enhancing the momentum of development and elevating competitive advantages.

Dirco Fong, CEO of Macao Design Center, said that CIIDF has linked Shenzhen and Macao together and built a broad exchange platform for the design and creative circles of the two cities and even the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area.

Two memorandums of understandings (MoUs) were signed at the ceremony. The first is the Shenzhen & Macao Design Strategic Cooperation MoU. According to the MoU, the two sides will carry out intentional cooperation in design education, design exchange activities and design platforms.

The other is the Bao’an District Design & Manufacturing Projects Cooperation MoU, which aims to further boost the high-quality development of industrial enterprises in Bao’an, widely absorb the world’s advanced design concepts and innovative resources, and accelerate the cooperation between domestic enterprises.

This year also marks the third edition of the Bao’an Cup Innovation Design Competition. One gold prize, two silver prizes, three bronze prizes and four honorable mentions were awarded at the opening ceremony after three rounds of strict evaluation by seven domestic and foreign professional judges.

Other highlights of this year’s CIIDF include the Industrial Design Summit Forum, Design Innovation Exchange Tour, Youth Creative Workshop, 70*40 Design Exhibition, Thematic Exhibition on the 20th Anniversary of Macao’s Return to The Motherland and 3rd Bao’an Cup Innovation Design Competition Achievements Exhibition.

The 70*40 Design Exhibition, in particular, was set up to pay tribute to the 70th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China and the 40th anniversary of the founding of Shenzhen, displaying 70 design works of 40 designers from Shenzhen’s excellent design brands, especially Bao’an enterprises.

The three major exhibitions will be open to the public free of charge at the MJH iADC and will last until Dec. 19.

The 12th CIIDF is hosted by the Chinese Mechanical Engineering Society Industrial Design Institution, the National Industrial Design Industry Innovation Alliance and the Bao’an District People’s Government.