Design: New Quality Productive Forces! The 2024 World Industrial Design Conference Opens in Yantai, Shandong
Reported by Cai Yunfei, Tang Miao, Li Zhen from Dazhong Net in Yantai
On the morning of September 20, the 2024 World Industrial Design Conference opened at the Yantai Bajiaowan International Convention and Exhibition Center. Under the theme of "Design: New Quality Productive Forces", the conference was hosted by the China Industrial Design Association, the Shandong Provincial Department of Industry and Information Technology, and the People's Government of Yantai, and organized by the Yantai Municipal Bureau of Industry and Information Technology and the Shandong Industrial Design Research Institute.
The conference gathered important global innovation resources, with representatives from design organizations in 15 countries and regions, including Germany, Italy, and France, as well as government officials and university leaders from Beijing, Shanghai, Chongqing, Shandong, Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Guangdong, Yunnan, Heilongjiang, Shaanxi, and Gansu. Representatives of leading domestic industrial design institutions and designers gathered in Yantai to discuss new models of industrial design empowering industrial growth and to plan new measures to accelerate industrialization. At the opening ceremony, 15 international friends sent congratulatory messages via video.
Industries gain vitality through industrial design, and the world becomes a better place because of industrial design. Shandong's diverse industrial sectors, strong industrial foundation, sound industrial structure, and comprehensive industrial support have created a fertile environment for the development of the industrial design industry. In recent years, with the guidance and support of the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, Shandong has prioritized the innovative development of industrial design as a key measure to accelerate the construction of a strong advanced manufacturing province. It has focused on strengthening policies, building platforms, and optimizing services, leveraging areas such as Yantai to create a leading domestic design industry ecosystem and elevate the comprehensive strength of "Shandong Design" to a new level.
This year marks the fifth time the World Industrial Design Conference has been held in Yantai. Yantai, embarking on a new journey toward a trillion-yuan economy, aims to establish itself as a "City of Design". The city is actively advancing the development of key platforms, including the National Intelligent Manufacturing Industrial Design Research Institute, Industrial Design Town, and World Design Creative Industry Center. It is accelerating the advancement of industrial design capabilities, industrial growth, and service quality, empowering the real economy through design innovation, while supporting industrial transformation, upgrading, and high-quality development. Through this conference, Yantai has invited guests from various sectors to explore and gain a deeper understanding, encouraging the fusion of inspiration with the city, enriching it through design, sharing opportunities for growth, and building a better future together.
At the opening ceremony, the award ceremony for the "Governor Cup Industrial Design Competition of Shandong" was held. In recent years, Shandong has been actively promoting industrial design to enhance new manufacturing, expand services, and foster new business models, and has continuously held the "Governor Cup Industrial Design Competition of Shandong". Since the start of this year's "The 5th Governor Cup Industrial Design Competition of Shandong", it has received a strong response from enterprises and designers alike, with over 5,000 entries submitted. At the event, Zhou Liwei, Zhang Chengwei, and Zheng Deyan presented 13 gold and 32 silver awards to the winning teams.
The establishment of the Intelligent Design Professional Committee of the China Industrial Design Association was announced at the conference. The committee aims to lead and empower industrial design with cutting-edge technology, unlocking its unlimited potential. It seeks to promote the deeper application of artificial intelligence in industrial design, enhancing both its intelligence and digitalization. This will explore new creative possibilities for transforming industrial design from quantity to quality and open a new chapter in the integration of artificial intelligence and industrial design.
Representatives from industry organizations, universities, research institutions, and experts from China, Germany, Italy, Brazil, Japan, Vietnam, and other countries have also jointly established the World Industrial Design Association. At the conference, certificates were awarded to the co-founding members of the World Industrial Design Association, promoting the deep integration and sharing of global industrial design wisdom and resources.
In the keynote speech session, Wang Haifeng, Chief Technology Officer of Baidu and National Outstanding Engineer, Guan Daowen, Founding Dean of the School of Innovation and Creativity at Southern University of Science and Technology, and Liu Guanzhong, Senior Professor of Humanities at Tsinghua University and Honorary Vice President of the China Industrial Design Association, exchanged ideas and discussed the theme "Design: New Quality Productive Forces", exploring the future of industrial design development.
At the conference, the China Design Industry Top 100 Release Ceremony was also held. Awards were presented for the Top 10 Design Educators, the Top 10 Design Innovation Platforms, the Top 10 Design Departments, the Top 10 Design Innovation Brands, the Top 10 Designers, the Annual Outstanding Figures, the Top 10 Emerging Designers, the Top 10 Design Advocates, the Top 10 Corporate Design Centers, and the Top 10 Design Organizations.
Since 2019, Yantai has successfully hosted five consecutive sessions of the World Industrial Design Conference, effectively establishing a new platform to showcase "Chinese Design" and facilitate international exchanges and cooperation. It has attracted 6 national-level and 44 provincial-level industrial design centers to be established in Yantai, Shandong. The Shandong Industrial Design Research Institute is the only industrial design research institute in the field of intelligent manufacturing nationwide.
This conference was held from September 20th to 22nd. With its scale and level continuing to rise, a display space covering 6,000 square meters was carefully planned, featuring four major display areas showcasing outstanding design achievements from both domestic and international sources, along with winning entries from the "Governor Cup Industrial Design Competition of Shandong". The event presented excellent design achievements from countries and regions with diverse cultural, technological, and industrial backgrounds, offering a feast for the eyes and minds of the global audience. During the conference, professional innovation forums will be held, combining various forms such as press conferences, round-table summits, and high-end dialogues. In addition, activities such as the International Designer Night and Shandong Industrial Design Week will take place to further spark design innovation, exploring new solutions, ideas, and directions for design to empower industrial development. These events will also contribute to the transformation and upgrading of traditional industries, as well as the cultivation and growth of emerging industries.
