From May 25 to 27, 2019, the 15th China (Wuxi) International Design Expo, sponsored by China National Intellectual Property Administration, Ministry of Science and Technology and the People’s Government of Jiangsu Province, undertaken by the Intellectual Property Office of Jiangsu Province, the Department of Science and Technology of Jiangsu Province and the People’s Government of Wuxi Municipality, and implemented by Wuxi Science and Technology Bureau, Wuxi Administration of Market Regulation (Wuxi Intellectual Property Office) and the Intellectual Property Publishing House Co., Ltd., was successfully held in Wuxi. The expo was themed “new design • new intelligent manufacturing • new life”, with conferences, exhibitions and awarding activities unfolded in three days. Now, let’s review the wonderful moments of the expo.

 Opening ceremony

Crowds of guests celebrate the event together

The expo is differentiated from other design exhibitions in China, filling the gap at home in comprehensive conferences about appearance design IPRs and dedicated to building Wuxi into “a city of design protection in China”. On May 25, the 15th China (Wuxi) International Design Expo was grandly opened in Hall A6 of Wuxi Taihu International Expo Center.

Site of the opening ceremony

Comrades from China National Intellectual Property Administration, WIPO China Office and the IPRs systems of some provinces, municipalities and autonomous regions, experts and scholars from both domestic and overseas design fields, heads of famous universities and enterprises, leaders of Wuxi Municipal Government and Wuxi Municipal Political Consultative Conference, comrades in charge from local counties (districts), economic development zone, relevant authorities of the city and development zones at the provincial level and above, as well as journalists from news media at the central, provincial and municipal levels attended the opening ceremony. Gao Yaguang, vice mayor of Wuxi Municipal Government, chaired the ceremony.  

Wuxi’s Vice Mayor Gao Yaguang chairs the opening ceremony.

At the meeting, Huang Qin, mayor of the People’s Government of Wuxi, gave the welcoming speech. Shen Changyu, director of the National Intellectual Property Administration, Ma Qiulin, vice governor of the People’s Government of Jiangsu Province, Mei Jianping, associate counsel of the Department of High and New Technology of the Ministry of Science and Technology, and Wang Binying, Deputy Director General of the World Intellectual Property Organization, respectively delivered speeches. 

Huang Qin, mayor of the People’s Government of Wuxi, gives the welcoming speech.

Shen Changyu, director of the National Intellectual Property Administration, delivers the speech.

Ma Qiulin, vice governor of the People’s Government of Jiangsu Province, delivers the speech.

Mei Jianping, associate counsel of the Department of High and New Technology of the Ministry of Science and Technology, delivers the speech.

Wang Binying, Deputy Director General of the World Intellectual Property Organization, delivers the speech.

Hua Jianmin, vice-chairman of the Standing Committee of the 11th National People's Congress, offered congratulations at the site, and unveiled the 15th China (Wuxi) International Design Expo together with Shen Changyu, director of the National Intellectual Property Administration, Li Xiaomin, member of the standing committee of Jiangsu Provincial Committee of the CPC and secretary of Wuxi Municipal Committee of the CPC, Ma Qiulin, vice governor of the People’s Government of Jiangsu Province, and Wang Binying, Deputy Director General of the World Intellectual Property Organization. 

Attending leaders at provincial and municipal levels also included Ms. Zhi Suping, director of the Intellectual Property Office of Jiangsu Province, Mr. Jiang Hong, deputy director of the Department of Science and Technology of Jiangsu Province, and Mr. Xu Yiping, director of the standing committee of the Municipal People’s Congress of Wuxi.

Meetings

Heated discussions among experts

The expo included keynote speeches at the opening ceremony and five theme forums, which were the high-level forum themed “New Technology and Future Design”, the sub-forum themed “Effective Use of the Hague Agreement concerning the International Registration of Industrial Designs”, and three expert meetings under the 10th China-Japan-South Korea Design Forum, with the aim to offer a stage for creative thinking, design thinking and IPRs protection.

　　1.Keynote speeches

2.Guest speakers

Mr. Lu Xiaobo, dean of the Academy of Arts & Design of Tsinghua University, Mr. Luciano Galimberti, chairman of Associazione per il Disegno Industriale, Mr. Sean Murphy, vice president of global government relations at Dolby, and Mr. Günther MARTEN, minister counsellor of EU Delegation to China, gave keynote speeches at the opening ceremony. Mr. Chen Jian, academician of Chinese Academy of Engineering and president of Jiangnan University, attended the event.   

Lu Xiaobo, dean of the Academy of Arts & Design of Tsinghua University, delivers the keynote speech.

Luciano Galimberti, chairman of Associazione per il Disegno Industriale, delivers the keynote speech.

Sean Murphy, vice president of global government relations at Dolby, delivers the keynote speech.

Günther MARTEN, minister counsellor of EU Delegation to China, delivers the keynote speech.

　　2.Forums

Sub-forum of “Effective Use of the Hague Agreement concerning the International Registration of Industrial Designs”

The sub-forum was sponsored by WIPO and co-sponsored by the Intellectual Property Office of Jiangsu Province. Two authoritative experts, i.e. Lv Guoliang and Wu Kai, from WIPO China Office respectively introduced the international protection of industrial designs and the Hague system, offering favorable paths to overseas industrial designs for Chinese enterprises amid the ongoing  China-US trade war. Chen Yuanqing, director of Lenovo’s Global Legal Affairs Department, shared relevant experience upon invitation. 

Chen Yuanqing, director of Lenovo’s Global Legal Affairs Department, gives a theme speech

High-level forum of “New Technology and Future Design”

New technology creates numerous possibilities for the evolution and upgrade of design. The high-level forum of “New Technology and Future Design” highlighted the opportunities and influence from changing technologies, with guest speakers consisting of entrepreneurs, scholars, designers and IPR experts.

Site of the High-level forum of “New Technology and Future Design”

Guo He, vice dean of the IP Academy of Renmin University of China, delivers a theme speech.

Wang Zhong, dean of the City Design School of China Central Academy of Fine Arts, delivers a theme speech. 

Associate professor of the Department of Art Design, School of Literature, Nankai University gives a theme speech.

Famous multinational designer and entrepreneur Lu Yiying, gives a theme speech. 

The 10th China-Japan-South Korea Design Forum

The 10th China-Japan-South Korea Design Forum settled down in Wuxi once again. Government leaders and entrepreneurs from China, Japan and South Korea had discussions concerning issues like the protection of the appearance design of home appliances, offering a platform of exchanges at a higher level for Wuxi’s industrial circle.  

Exhibitions

“Enjoyment, travelling and fun”

The expo included three exhibition halls respectively themed “intelligent life”, “intelligent travelling” and “intelligent design”. By introducing the philosophy of mainstream design exhibitions in the world, which is “scenario-based experience”, it focused on “enjoyment, travelling and fun” and connected people’s daily life with the means of traveling and entertainment, offering a 23,400 sqm space for exceptional experience of interactive design.

The three exhibition halls centered on the theme of “new design • new intelligent manufacturing • new life”, with the contents of exhibition including many fruits of innovation design related to life, transport tools and interactive and consumer electronics. The expo gathered 134 exhibitors from both home and abroad, represented by Little Swan, DJI, Ninebot, ECOVACS and Goodbaby, with special decoration booths covering 9,898 sq m. 

Compared with previous sessions, this session improved a lot in interactive experience, which included a dozen of original design experience, such as the experience of the interactive display screen equipped with the latest technology in South Korea, and demonstrations of how to make Wuxi paper horse and paper fans. 

*奖*

“设计之夜”揭晓百万设计大奖

The road show for the final of the 8th Taihu Award Design Competition and the “Night of Design” awarding ceremony were held during the expo. On the evening of May 26, the Organizing Committee invited all the final judges, participants as well as experts and scholars in the design field both from home and abroad to the Orchid Hall of Worldhotel Grand Juna, where they joined the “Night of Design” awarding ceremony of the 8th Taihu Award and enjoyed art shows. The list of awardees of the design competition was released, and Wuxi’s vice mayor Gao Yaguang gave a speech at the awarding ceremony.     

“Night of Design” awarding ceremony of the 8th Taihu Award Design Competition 

Gao Yaguang, vice mayor of the People’s Government of Wuxi, delivers a speech at the awarding ceremony.

Through preliminary screening, road show oral debates and site soring, as the result of the 8th Taihu Award Design Competition, one team was selected for the RMB1 million design award, three teams for the gold award respectively in the creation group and product group, ten teams for the silver award respectively in the creation group and product group, and the rest 45 teams for the bronze award.  

Ma Xiaoqi from the School of Design of Dalian Minzu University won the RMB1 million design award, which included RMB500,000 of cash and RMB500,000 of implementation support, for his work of “RDC Auxiliary Equipment for Rescue Dogs” that was unanimously affirmed by judges.  

Ma Xiaoqi receives the RMB1 million design award

Concluding remarks: As what Huang Qin, mayor of the People’s Government of Wuxi, said in the opening speech, “Design requires inspiration, while creation is sourced from communication. Since it was launched, China (Wuxi) International Design Expo has been dedicated to advancing the connection between design and industrial demand and the exchanges and cooperation in the design field both at home and abroad, and evolved into an open platform that promotes international cooperation on design and pools innovation resources and an important window used to show Wuxi’s image.” The 15th expo lasted for three days, including five forums, an original design competition for a RMB1 million award and a 23,400 sq m space for the exhibition themed “enjoyment, travelling and fun”. It showed the advanced level of China’s design industry to the world, improved the appearance design and trademark protection environment at home, awakened the awareness of protecting and respecting original design among the public, and helped build Wuxi into “a city of design protection in China”.