Along Time Ville in the Design Capital of Guangzhou in Guangzhou, there are coconut trees, tutu cars, and characteristic local guideboards that attract tourists to take photos for social media as if they were in a foreign country.
In recent years, elements of technology, art, culture and so on that are aligned with the global trend have continued to blend and unleash innovative vitality in the Design Capital of Guangzhou. Typical examples include the Centennial Bauhaus Caravan Tour, the DDSP Industrial Design Exhibition, and the "The Sound of Color" International Art Exhibition.
Earlier this year, Guangzhou announced a list of 12 international blocks, with the Design Capital of Guangzhou among them. The area now is becoming a new calling card for Guangzhou's opening up to the world with its international plan.
Brands gather to further enlarge the international "friend circle"
The Design Capital of Guangzhou, as a key platform for promoting the construction of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, has built a bridge connecting "designs in China" to the world.
Guangzhou Chaoyang Clothing Technology Co., Ltd., a local company in Guangzhou's Baiyun District established in 2014, has been digging into the European and American markets, mainly engaged in research and development and sales of functional body-shaping clothing.
"We resonate with the Design Capital of Guangzhou in the development philosophy of design. Here we are offered a convenient location and transportation that lay a good foundation for daily business operations," said Xu Yanxuan, the founder of the company. "With more and more international brands settling in, companies relying on overseas business like us will have more opportunities for communication and learning."
The increasing overseas markets and businesses improve the international level of enterprises as well as their demands for higher-level talents. For this, the Design Capital of Guangzhou has proposed to create a 24-hour dynamic circle for "design plus", building a gathering place of international brands for the design industry in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, and fully promoting the integration of design concepts and achievements into the improvement of urban development, public services, and other fields, so as to attract more overseas talents.
"The area which integrates office, commercial, exhibition, residential, and leisure functions presents a high quality and international style," said Dong Xuelin, the HR director of Guangzhou Dalang Industrial Co., Ltd. Employees in the company have rapidly increased from over 60 to more than 130 since its headquarter moving to the Design Capital of Guangzhou last October.
The company is actively expanding its overseas market. Thanks to the high-quality living and service environment created by the Design Capital of Guangzhou, some foreigners have chosen to work and settle down here. Recently, the company hired an overseas marketing director from the United States, according to Dong's introduction.
"In the future, the proportion of our overseas market share will continue to increase, and we will strive towards our goal of going public." Dong Xuelin is confident about the development prospects of the Design Capital of Guangzhou.
"Innovation chains" to empower international blocks and inspire "new industry vitality"
The Design Capital of Guangzhou as a key development project in GBA plays an important part in enhancing Guangzhou's urban competitiveness and soft power.
"With fashion design resources from all over the country and even the world gathering, the Design Capital of Guangzhou brings more opportunities for the development of Guangzhou's fashion industry by connecting different industries, brands, and designers here," said renowned international fashion designer and Vice President of China Fashion Designers Association, Ji Wenbo.
Last August, Ji Wenbo's studio settled in the Design Capital of Guangzhou. "With this platform, we have the ability and responsibility to truly represent our national culture and promote designed products with unique Chinese features to the world with international influence," he said.
The development positioning of the Design Capital of Guangzhou has also caught the eyes of Lu Jianeng, director of LWK+PARTNERS and Hong Kong architect. "The reason why we settled in the Design Capital of Guangzhou is that it is a key project in Guangdong Province, and it is also located at the forefront of the Guangzhou-Shenzhen-Hong Kong-Macao science and technology innovation corridor with the advantages of international airports. In the future, it will become a comprehensive and full-chain trade base for the design industry in the Greater Bay Area," said Lu.
He also mentioned that the Design Capital of Guangzhou has an international standard for urban public space, and "the city's 'soft environment' helps to increase long-term appeal for international talents. We will use its resource advantages to attract more talents from Hong Kong to settle in Baiyun."
By building a "talent chain" to empower the "innovation chain" and the "industrial chain," the Design Capital of Guangzhou has become a source of innovation for the design industry, where new technologies, industries, formats, and models are blended and coexist. It is also an important platform for the incubation, transformation, and industrialization of design innovations. According to statistics, the area's output value reached 48 billion yuan last year, emerging as a new contributor to the economic growth in Guangzhou.
广州白云：向“国际范”迈进，广州设计之都打造对外开放“新名片”
椰子树、Tutu车、特色网红路牌，行走在广州设计之都红点街，仿佛置身异国街头，吸引不少游客拍照打卡。
包豪斯大篷车百年巡游、迪士普工业设计藏品鉴赏展、《色彩的声音》国际艺术展……近年来，与世界接轨的科技、艺术、文化等元素，不断在广州设计之都实现跨界交融，迸发创新活力。
今年年初，广州市公布12个国际化街区试点名单，广州设计之都街区名列其中。本土企业“走出去”，优秀人才“引进来”，广州设计之都正向“国际范”迈进，成为广州对外开放的“新名片”。
设计品牌聚集助力“走出去”
拓展国际“朋友圈”
近年来，“走出去”越来越成为企业适应全球化趋势、增强竞争力、提高创新能力和拓宽发展空间的有效途径，作为推进粤港澳大湾区建设的重点平台，广州设计之都为“中国设计”搭建了连通世界的桥梁。
创立于2014年的广州潮洋科技服饰有限公司是白云区本土企业，一直深耕欧美市场，主要开展塑身美体功能性服饰的研发和销售。“广州设计之都以设计为核心，与我们的发展理念相当契合。这里地理位置优越，交通方便，为企业日常经营提供良好基础。”该公司创始人许燕璇说，“随着越来越多国际品牌入驻，对我们这种出海型企业而言，将获得更多交流和学习的机会。”
企业不断开拓海外市场、拓展海外业务，“走出去”的同时也带动了国际化、高层次人才需求。广州设计之都提出打造24小时活力“设计+”圈，打造粤港澳大湾区设计产业国际品牌集聚地，并全力推动设计理念、成果融入城市品质提升、公共民生服务等领域，对海外人才吸引力持续升温。
“园区集办公、商业、会展、居住、休闲等功能于一体，很有品质、有国际范。”广州市大郎实业有限公司人力资源总监董学林说，公司总部自去年10月迁入广州设计之都后，员工由60余人迅速扩展至130余人。
他介绍，公司正积极布局拓展海外市场，其主营的安德斯特品牌电竞椅已在全球54个国家销售。得益于广州设计之都营造的优质生活服务环境，有外籍人士选择来此工作生活、安家落户，近期该公司就特聘了一名来自美国的海外市场推广总监。
“未来海外市场所占份额会越来越高，我们将朝着上市的目标努力。”对于在广州设计之都的发展前景，董学林充满信心。
构筑“创新链”赋能国际化街区
激发产业“新活力”
如今，城市之间的竞争逐渐演变为对人才的竞争，一座城市对国际高端人才的吸引力往往与城市的国际地位密切相连。作为推进粤港澳大湾区建设的重点产业发展平台，广州设计之都将成为增强广州城市竞争力和软实力的重要一环。
“广州设计之都汇聚了全国乃至全球的时尚设计资源，不同产业、品牌和设计师能够在此产生共鸣，为广州时尚设计产业的发展带来更多机会。”著名国际时装设计师、中国服装设计师协会副主席计文波说。
去年8月，计文波大师工作室在广州设计之都落户揭牌。“依托这一平台，我们有能力也有责任，将真正代表我们民族文化的、具有中国特色的设计作品推向全球，影响世界。”计文波说。
广州设计之都的发展定位，也吸引了LWK+PARTNERS（简称“LWK”）董事、香港建筑师卢建能。2021年年初，LWK在广东省完成企业执业备案。同时，白云区组建了工作服务专班，帮助LWK成为首家具备执业资格认证及完成在境内从事生产经营活动商事登记的港澳建筑师事务所。
“之所以落户广州设计之都，首先，这是广东省重点建设项目，其次是看中它地处广深港澳科技创新走廊龙头位置，具备国际空港优势，未来将成为大湾区内一个全方位、全链条的设计产业商贸基地。”卢建能说。
他表示，广州设计之都具有国际化水准的城市公共空间，在打造国际人才高地的过程中，国际化街区的作用日益凸显。“城市‘软环境’对国际人才更具长远吸引力，我们也会借助平台的资源优势，吸引更多香港人才来到白云。”
可以预见，未来将有越来越多具有国际视野和全球背景的创新设计英才汇聚于此。以“人才链”构筑“创新链”、赋能“产业链”，广州设计之都已成为以设计产业创新为主体，新技术、新产业、新业态、新模式交融共生的策源地，以及实现设计创新成果孵化、转化和产业化的重要平台。据统计，园区去年产值达480亿元，成为区域新的经济增长点。
优化环境打造湾区设计“生态圈”
设计高地正崛起
何镜堂、计文波大师工作室落户揭牌，粤港澳青年设计师之家进驻，30多家国内外知名企业签订入驻协议，40多家国内外知名设计企业成为战略合作单位，“总部朋友圈”突破140家……如今，全球设计力量、创新力量正加速集聚，赋能广州设计之都进一步打造“湾区设计创新生态圈”。
企业的良好发展离不开优质的营商环境。据悉，设计企业落户园区，除白云区“1+4”政策规定的普惠性政策外，还可享受广州设计之都专有的惠企政策，涵盖租金、人才引进等方面。同时，白云区鹤龙街致力于为企业提供个性化服务，通过定期走访企业，收集企业发展遇到的问题，并帮助协调解决。
“在这里感受到了家的温暖。”许燕璇感叹道，街道对企业员工的入户、入学给予了大力支持，让员工能够免除后顾之忧。董学林也表示，街道积极开展专项人才工作政策申报宣讲会，让企业更清晰地了解海外人才招聘政策和办理流程，提升申报效率。
人才服务方面，目前已建成广州设计之都城市人才会客厅，正加快推进人才图书馆、云谷人才公园、人才书香大道、惠才联盟、人才论坛建设。接下来还将与广东院士联盟共建院士专家科技成果转化服务中心，打造大湾区院士会客厅。
“我们希望到2025年，广州设计之都的设计产业发展水平和服务能力走在全国前列、引领全国潮流，成为设计产业落地的首选地，成为国内外设计产业活动最聚集、人员交流最密切的设计高地，成为代表广州参与国内、国际竞争的响亮名片。”鹤龙街有关负责人说。
到2023年年底园区产值达600亿元，到2024年年底园区产值达800亿元，到2025年年底园区产值达1000亿元；引进4位行业泰斗级设计大师进驻大师工作室，引进若干院士、非遗传承人等行业领军人才、新锐设计师团队进驻；2023年专业设计从业人员超3000人，到2024年超6000人，到2025年超10000人；形成顶级大师和智库专家思想碰撞的高地，企业商协组织互动交流的阵地，青年人才创新创业的首选地，居民群众积极传播的网红打卡点……
目标既定，蓝图绘就，发展大幕业已拉开，加速崛起的广州设计之都，未来可期！
文丨符畅 云宣
图丨梁喻
翻译丨陈萱
责编丨古司祺
