On June 14, the first “Media’s Tour of Entrepreneurial & Innovative Parks”, a series activities sponsored by Shanghai Municipal Commission of Commerce, organized by DOBE Group, was grandly held at DOBE E-Manor of Changning. Inspector Gu Jiahe from Shanghai Municipal Commission of Commerce, Deputy Director Chen Hairong from the Department of E-commerce of Shanghai Municipal Commission of Commerce, Deputy Director Chen Fangjian from Changning District Commission of Commerce attended the event and gave speeches. Journalists from a dozen mainstream media, including Xinhua News Agency, People's Daily, Liberation Daily, Wenhui Bao, International Business Daily, Shanghai TV Station, representatives from nearly 10 enterprises in DOBE Parks, such as dianping.com, A-4 Design, K-stone Network, Linqu Network, took part in the symposium.
Around the theme of “entrepreneurship and innovation” in the “Internet+” commerce field, government leaders and enterprise representatives gathered under the same roof to have discussions and exchanges. By talking with cultural, creative, sci-tech, innovative enterprises’ founders, leaders of Shanghai Municipal Commission of Commerce inquired about the development status and visions of the enterprises and entrepreneurs. The entrepreneurs spoke out freely and carefully reported their enterprises’ innovative strategies and achievements in development.
Deputy Director Chen Hairong first introduced the activity’s background: “to actively respond to Premier Li Keqiang’s call to encourage the people to start businesses and make innovations, learn Shanghai start-up enterprises and entrepreneurs’ state of survival and development on the spot, we will focus on a group of quality Internet+ commerce entrepreneurial parks with the media, unfold from one to all by means of colloquia, tours, visits, questionnaires, hoping to explore the innovative context and ecological environment for Shanghai’s Internet+ commerce together, depict the innovative development index of Shanghai’s Internet+ commerce, so as to objectively and accurately respond to the state and society’s expectations for starting businesses and making innovations in Shanghai. Meanwhile, to provide better public services for the people to start business and make innovations in the Internet+ commerce field in Shanghai, we organized this activity to learn the development status, highlights and features of existing innovative and startup enterprises in Shanghai, try to objectively and accurately grasp their difficulties and problems in development, so as to introduce policies and provide services accurately, help them out with worries and difficulties. We also will develop a joint conference system depending on Shanghai Municipal Commission of Commerce, integrate and motivate associations, institutions and other social resources, to make space and build a stage for market players to start businesses and make innovations, in order to stimulate and protect the entire society’s enthusiasm for innovation and creation.”
On the spot, representatives from nearly 10 enterprises took part in the discussion. Everyone spoke out freely about the implementation of the national policy to encourage the people to start businesses and make innovations, and comprehensive entrepreneurial services, etc. Enterprise founders also shared their development courses from nothing, their experiences of starting businesses and making innovations.
ALLFLUX’ representative Ding Yiqi from DOBE WE International Hub @ Yuyuan Mansion 1890 said in his speech: “it’s an entirely unknown and hard road to start a business, which can be seen from the twists and turns in ALLFLUX’ course of development. When ALLFLUX was just founded, like many startup companies, we were in an awkward situation in terms of funds, and couldn’t get a loan from banks. Luckily we got timely support from DOBE. They provided a characteristic financial service called ‘rental in exchange for equity’ and solved our cash flow problem at the time.”
Some time ago, many media reported that startup enterprises were in a winter for financing, facing bankruptcy in the downturn. But in reality, there are many successful enterprises. DOBE Group’s Board Chairman Jia Bo said: “we should see the situation of starting businesses in a dialectical way. Though many incubators and startup enterprises are facing failure, there are still many excellent startup enterprises developing fast and making achievements with the support from local governments, under Premier Li Keqiang’s call on the people to start business and make innovations.” In his subsequent speech, Mr. Jao Bo listed some successful startup enterprises in DOBE parks.
DOBE Sports LOFT Park’s enterprise K-stone Network’s co-founder Gao Chao agreed: “an enterprise’s development is the result of many factors. For example, when K-stone was just founded, it was a team of only a dozen members; but now it has become a team of nearly 200 people. In two years, the company has got rapid development and thus attracted the attention of various venture investors.” He sighed: “in my opinion, Chinese entrepreneurs are in a golden age now.”
After a heated discussion, the media also took part in the interactive communication, exchanged ideas with the entrepreneur representatives on HR, financing, brand, public service and other problems. When he was asked Linqu’s secret of success, DOBE Xuhui Creative LOFT’s enterprise Linqu’s CEO Liu Weili said: “a business cannot be established only with passion. Our team is practical. When many O2O enterprises scrambled for financing, we focused on the construction of our core services. It’s our primary task to offer good products and services. At present many industries are in a winter for investment. But Linqun grasped the opportunity and got USD 10 million in its round-B financing.”
The government leaders, journalists and representatives from enterprises in DOBE parks visited DOBE E-Manor of Changning accompanied by DOBE Group’s Board Chairman Jia Bo.Gu showed his affirmation on not only the garden-style working environment, but also on the entrepreneurial spirit in DOBE parks.
At last, Inspector Gu Jiahe from Shanghai Municipal Commission of Commerce commented on Shanghai’s “entrepreneurship and innovation” in recent years and put forward his expectations: “DOBE Group plays a leading role in developing cultural and creative industries in China. Currently, DOBE has successfully operated more than 33 cultural and creative clusters, and the total area of the parks has reached nearly 750,000 square meters. More than 5000 enterprises have moved into DOBE parks. The unique operation model of DOBE integrates investment, design, construction, marketing, operation, platform services into one service system, which achieves agglomeration of different industries as well as improves development of cultural and creative industries. We can say DOBE Group’s road of development has been unfolded along a course toward large scale, professionalism, internationalization, informatization, standardization. This is a good start for DOBE’s transformation and upgrading at present and even in the future. ”
Inspector Gu Jiahe pointed out: “forcefully encouraging the people to start businesses and make innovations is our source of power and national strategy for developing our economy. It’s of great significance to Shanghai in promoting its structural adjustment to economy, creating new engines for development, enhancing new power for development, taking the road to innovation-driven development. At present, a new boom of entrepreneurship and innovation is rising. The power comes from three aspects: first, streamlining administration, delegating power to the lower levels and the reform of the business system ahs lowered the threshold and cost of starting businesses, driving new market players to grow like a blowout; second, the new generation of internet technologies and the development of internet finance have promoted innovation in product, service, business model and management mechanism, ushered in a new round of internet-based business boom; third, as important carriers to gather talents, technologies, capital and other elements in innovation, high-tech parks have brought a new concentrated business and innovation boom.
The new round of business and innovation boom in Shanghai has four key features. First, the players to “start businesses and make innovations” have become diversified. Businesses started by elites promote innovation; businesses started by grass roots drive employment. Second, the system of “starting businesses and making innovations” has becomes ecological. Guided by giant technology enterprises, with the overwhelming incubation and development of small and macro businesses, parks have become the “habitat” of innovative talents. Third, the means to “start businesses and make innovations” have become internet-based. Business and innovation thrive both online and offline. Internet-based business and innovation have become common. Fourth, the scope for “starting businesses and making innovations” has becomes inclusive. New business models, management mechanisms, investment patterns like crowd-venture, crowd-sourcing, crowd-funding mingle with each other, giving every dream catcher a chance to win a wonderful life.
Inspector Gu Jiahe said: “the “Media’s Tour of Entrepreneurial & Innovative Parks” is held to further create a good social atmosphere, encourage people to start businesses and make innovations in Shanghai in a wider range, at a higher level, to a deeper degree. At present, startup enterprises still lack some channels to communicate with the government. Parks like DOBE have become a bond between the government and enterprises. The government can provide enterprises with support in three aspects. First, the government can mobilize social funds to provide financial support for enterprises together in the form of financial funds or government funds. Second, the government can work with international job-hunting websites or connect the Human Resources and Social Security Bureau to the job market to provide HR support. Third, the government can build government public service platforms to help enterprises with business networking. We hope in the process of starting businesses, entrepreneurs have the willpower, are good at getting help, advance with the times and keep upgrading. The government also will protect and simulate the people’s enthusiasm for starting businesses and making innovations, to create an innovative and entrepreneurial atmosphere together.”
Inspector Gu Jiahe stressed: “as a leading department for commerce, we will hold such activities regularly, to provide enterprises with a platform to show their entrepreneurship and innovation. Meanwhile, we will further bring forth new working methods, strengthen our public service, further collect entrepreneurs’ strength and wisdom, strive to create a good ecological environment for entrepreneurship and innovation in the city, provide exploration and practice for constructing Shanghai into a global sci-tech innovation center and global e-commerce center.”
Event of “Media’s Tour of ‘Internet+’ Commerce Entrepreneurial & Innovative Parks”
Representative of ALLFLUX from DOBE WE International Hub @YUYUAN Mansion 1890
Inspector Gu Jiahe from Shanghai Municipal Commission of Commerce