SHANGHAI, Sept. 29, 2023 /PRNewswire/ — A report from thepaper.cn:

On September 26, 2023 World Design Cites Conference (WDCC2023), hosted by the Shanghai Municipal People’s Government and supported by UNESCO and the Chinese National Commission for UNESCO, officially opened. With the theme of “Design Beyond Creativity” and the mission of “building a platform for global design cooperation and exchange, exploring design-led high-quality development, and promoting design everywhere in cities and urban life”, this conference will gather prominent guests and leading brands to create a world-class design vanguard, an innovation hub, and a premier showcase for new products.

2023 World Design Cites Conference Opens in Shanghai
2023 World Design Cites Conference Opens in Shanghai

At the opening ceremony, the ceremony for UNESCO and the Chinese National Commission for UNESCO supporting the establishment of Shanghai Design City was held; The results for the second Frontier Design Prize was announced in recognition of people who have made pioneering contributions to the field of design around the world. Guests such as Chang Qing (academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and president of the Shanghai Architectural Society), and Don Norman (member of the U.S. National Academy of Engineering) shared their insights on urban renewal, industrial innovation, and design ideas. Two roundtables on the themes of “Design Beyond Creativity” invited design experts, scholars, and entrepreneurs from China, France, Italy, Japan and other countries to discuss how design can enable global interconnection and how AIGC technology can promote the high-quality development of the design industry.

From September 26 to October 2, 2023 World Design City Conference will be held in Huangpu Riverside Ship Pavilion and its surrounding areas. During the conference, nearly 100 activities will be held, more than 1,000 guests from the design field will speak at the conference. The conference will also be linked to London Design Festival and Milan Fashion Week to hold activities such as “Design to Wonderland ” in London and a show and exhibition featuring “Shanghai Fashion Day” in Milan.

Design, as a key value-adding part of the industrial chain, has become an important engine for industrial innovation and development; it serves as a crucial means to optimize people’s way of living well and a fundamental element to shape a city’s brand image. Since Shanghai joined the United Nations Creative Cities Network in 2010 and became a “city of design”, it has accelerated the gathering of excellent design enterprises and design talents. Innovative design achievements have continued to emerge with increasing international and domestic influence.