Design event highlights global cooperation

An exhibit markets Beijing's creative industries at the trade fair. Zou Hong / China Daily

Over 1,300 enterprises in the design industry sought possible partners and financial backers from home or abroad at a special event at the Third China Beijing International Fair for Trade in Services, which started Wednesday and runs through June 1 at the National Convention Center.

The Beijing Dragon Design Foundation and International Design Foundation, invited the companies to its Crossover Design Resource Matching Conference taking place on Saturday.

Jed Pon, secretary general of the International Design Foundation, also said more than 20 enterprises from Britain, the United States, Lithuania and Bulgaria came to the organizing committee for possible cooperation.

Besides international communication, intellectual property rights protection is being highlighted at the conference.

In April, the Dragon Design Foundation reached agreements with the Copyright Protection Center of China to offer services, including copyright registration, to design companies.

Dongdao Co Ltd is one such company. Founded in 1997 and headquartered in Beijing, Dongdao has branches and offices in Shanghai, Guangzhou, Xi'an, Rome and Berlin. It has won accolades for its design ideas and efficiency from many major domestic and international brands, including Haier Group and FAW Volkswagen.

Other domestic participants include Beijing Yihui Co, a design company that focuses on the promotion of art derivatives on and off line by putting works by renowned painters on objects such as scarves, portable power sources and flash discs; and Rui Hao, which provides solutions in dealing with table garbage by cooperative ventures with dining companies and schools.

Foreign companies also are looking for opportunities in China through the annual event. The Lithuanian Designers Society said it hoped to see designers from famous Chinese brands and leaders of noted design companies.

Akuku, a Lithuanian firm with years of experience in architectural design, is now designing clothes for women and children. It hopes to sell the garments as well as purchase material to make the clothes in China.

Remida Ltd, another Lithuanian firm, is interested in bringing biological technologies to China as well as providing management-training services to related companies.

Mobile phone wholesaler MobiliBaltija hopes to bring the company's accessory production line to China.

Zhang Liqiong, deputy secretary general of Dragon Design Foundation, said the resource matching conference will include in-depth discussions, keynote speeches and exhibitions.

"Exhibitors that will participate in the event are all leading representatives of their industries, covering new energy design, visual creative design, animation and artistic derivatives," Zhang said.