Yantai: Using Industrial Design as the Engine to Fully Develop a "City of Design"
On June 6, the Information Office of Yantai Municipal People's Government held a press conference on the development of Yantai's industrial design industry chain. Zhang Zhenggong, a member of the Party Leadership Group and Deputy Director of the Yantai Municipal Bureau of Industry and Information Technology, outlined the measures that Yantai will implement in 2024 to leverage industrial design for the high-quality development of its manufacturing industry.
Industrial design is a key diver for promoting industrial transformation and upgrading, as well as guiding innovation-driven development. Zhang Zhenggong stated that in 2024, leveraging events such as the World Industrial Design Conference and the "Major Cup Industrial Design Competition", Yantai will fully launch the initiative to build a "City of Design". The city will focus on key projects such as the Industrial Design Town and the World Design Park, aiming to achieve breakthroughs in areas including the development of design platforms, enhancement of innovation capabilities, and creation of an industrial ecosystem. The specific work plans will focus on the following four areas:
Cultivating Key Industrial Design Enterprises. Yantai will improve the hierarchical cultivation system for industrial design centers, revise the regulations for the identification and management of municipal industrial design centers, and establish over 20 new industrial design centers within the year. The government will also encourage leading enterprises in key industrial chains and industry leaders to separate their R&D institutions and establish independently operated design companies. Additionally, support will be provided to industrial parks, universities, and design service organizations to establish public service platforms for industrial design and business incubators, attracting and nurturing a number of well-known domestic and international industrial design enterprises and organizations with strong influence and drive.
Unlocking the Empowering Potential of Industrial Design. Yantai will continue to enhance the public service capabilities of design innovation platforms such as the Shandong Industrial Design Research Institute, Orange Cloud, and the Shandong Innovation Design Research Institute. It will advance the development of facilities like digital prototype innovation workshops, prototype innovation laboratories, master workshops, and digital cultural and creative studios, and create a research and development design and application platform with functions such as digital verification, agile manufacturing, and prototype development. Over 10 matchmaking events will be organized throughout the year, aiming to provide public services such as design tools, design standards, inspection and testing, technology transfer, and intellectual property protection for more than 200 enterprises in Yantai, thereby enhancing design innovation capabilities in intelligent manufacturing, key equipment, core devices, and new process technologies.
Constructing the Ecological System of the Design Industry. Yantai will leverage the leading and exemplary roles of key industrial design parks and related parks in the industry chain. It will focus on advancing the construction of several key parks and distinctive districts, including the Cultural and Creative Industrial Park in the Industrial Design Town, the World Design Park, the 1861 Cultural and Creative Industrial Park, and the Cultural and Tourism Theme Park at the Changrong Cement Factory. By collaborating with enterprises and institutions such as Wanhua Chemical, Haicheng Petrochemical, and the Yantai Research Institute of Harbin Engineering University, a number of "Headquarters Economy + Industrial Design" projects will be developed. In conjunction with the efforts to establish a "City of Design", Yantai will strengthen the role of industrial design in enhancing the industrial chain and empowering innovation, bringing together various resources such as R&D headquarters, design institutions, and innovation laboratories of key enterprises in the industry. The city will expand the application scenarios of industrial design in areas such as cultural creativity, urban renewal, and rural revitalization, aiming to create a number of industrial design ecological clusters.
Creating a Strong Atmosphere for Design Innovation. Yantai will successfully host major events such as the 2024 World Industrial Design Conference and the "Major Cup Industrial Design Competition". It will support a variety of design activities organized by social entities, including the "PHF Cup International Home Textile Creative Design Contest", the "Bright Stone Cup Micro-Nano Sensing Technology and Intelligent Application Competition", and the "Zhao Jin Gold Jewelry Design Contest". These efforts aim to foster a strong atmosphere for the public to understand, participate in, and enjoy design. Additionally, Yantai will organize training activities such as the Industrial Design Lecture Series, the Practical Training Courses at the China Industrial Design United Innovation College, and the College Students' Summer Industrial Design Week. The city will attract high-quality students and renowned design institutions from across the country, strengthen design innovation education, and foster talent development, thus laying a solid foundation for enhancing the quality of industrial design innovation.
