Shanghai speeding up Design City ambition

Shanghai is speeding up efforts to build itself as a Design City, by holding various events, building a city-level industrial design center and inviting more participation from designers, universities and industry organizations.

Last year, the GDP of the industrial, construction and fashion design industries contributed 146.2 billion yuan (US$21.5 billion) in Shanghai, leading among Chinese cities, according to the Shanghai Commission of Economy and Informatization. 

The Design City brand will boost Shanghai’s manufacturing and consumption sector and fuel economic upgrading and development, the commission said.

The city is holding events to award top 100 well-designed products and best industrial designs, with judges from over 10 universities including Shanghai Jiao Tong University and Tong Ji University.

The candidate products include new-energy and concept cars, apparel and medical devices, designed by companies such as SAIC, Weltmeister and H&M.

Such products are expected to generate revenue of 430 billion yuan in Shanghai in the near future, according to the commission.