Shanghai needs to attract masters of design from home and abroad
Shanghai Asia Metal Architecture Design and Industry Expo was held in September 2023.
Shanghai should strengthen efforts to attract more creative industry professionals, from both home and abroad, in a bid to turn the city into a world-class "design capital," a political adviser suggested during the ongoing "Two Sessions."
Yu Qingrong, a member of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference Shanghai Committee, said it was of great importance to gather and cultivate a group of world-influential designers.
"Shanghai universities need to strengthen the curriculum of design majors with increased enrollment, and promote enterprises to set up design institutes or research departments," Yu said. "Besides, design masters should have opportunities to put their talent into practice."
Yu advised allowing such people further involvement in urban construction projects, especially urban renewal that upgrade old neighborhoods, spreading the works of designers throughout the communities in Shanghai.
In 2022, the city issued a policy document on the construction of a "design metropolis," setting 2030 as the deadline to build a world-class "design metropolis."
Yu also suggested better social welfare, such as housing subsidies, for people deft at creation, while support policies should be given to enterprises with innovative projects, along with better intellectual property right protection, with an aim to establish the brand-effect of a "design metropolis."
Since Shanghai joined the United Nations "Creative Cities Network" in 2010, the total output of Shanghai's creative and design industry grew from 472 billion yuan (US$65 billion) in 2012 to 1.2 trillion yuan in 2021, with an annual growth rate of over 20 percent.
