Turbocharging entrepreneurs

People pass a high-resolution cartoon wall in Shenzhen, Guangdong province. The city led the national campaign to promote innovation and entrepreneurship last year. Jin Liwang / Xinhua

Shenzhen's 'maker spaces' share expertise in promoting innovative startups in other cities across the country

Editor's Note: Chinese Premier Li Keqiang on Mar 6 called for more efforts to create a favorable environment for innovation and entrepreneurship and seek new driving forces for the economy. For China to maintain medium-high economic growth, the biggest potential lies in bringing out the creativity of the country's population of more than 1.3 billion. He promised to build innovation platforms to meet the demands from emerging industries and new business models.

Shenzhen, once dubbed "the world's factory", is exporting its model of innovation and entrepreneurship to other cities in China in a bid to stimulate local economies.

The move comes as entrepreneurship rates in some areas of China seem to be in decline, according to Kevin Au, associate professor at the Chinese University of Hong Kong. Shenzhen, however, has seen steady growth.

Roughly 16 percent of Shenzhen's population was engaged in early-stage entrepreneurial activity in 2016. The national average is 10 percent, according to a report by the university.

Au notes that Shenzhen has developed a separate startup culture and nurtures an entrepreneurial ecosystem that operates independently from the rest of the mainland.

"Maker space", a local phrase that indicates an incubator or a startup accelerator, is a significant part of such that ecosystem. It is a community center providing facilities and training for members to design, bring to prototype and refine ideas. It is a starting point for many startups.

So far, the southern city has more than 80 maker spaces. Chaihuo Maker Space was the first. Since 2010, it has attracted 5,540 members, including Premier Li Keqiang. About 70 percent of its members are from other cities in China and around the world.

The space is sharing its experience all over the country. It has assisted in the establishment of more than 30 maker spaces in 15 cities, from the northern city of Shenyang in Liaoning province to the western city of Chengdu in Sichuan province.

Liao Wei, the space's general manager, says: "In six years, we have formed a comprehensive operating model, including hardware production, company management, marketing and incubating."

He says: "The model can be transplanted to other places to create a national network of maker spaces. Then, we can better share each other's resources."

Elementary schools have been given maker lessons designed by Chaihuo Maker Space, and in December it held Maker Faire - a worldwide party to advocate the maker culture - in Chengdu. The event attracted more than 100 teams, roughly 40 of which were from foreign countries.

Shenzhen's maker economy may also influence people in rural areas.

David Li, founder of the Shenzhen Open Innovation Lab, told China Daily that it will open pilot maker spaces in villages in Guangdong and Anhui provinces this year, inspired by The Lab, a maker space authorized by the Fabrication Laboratory (Fab Lab) created by a professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

Li says the advantage of The Lab's maker space is the platform of more than 1,000 worldwide Fab Labs that share their projects, resources and demands. He says many of these projects are related to the agricultural industry and have strong links to China's agricultural market.

"Some technologies can increase production efficiency and some can be designed as an experience program," he says.

grace@chinadailyhk.com