On June 15 local time in Italy, at the well-known Strozzi Villa in Florence, Shanghai & Florence-Sino Italian Design Exchange Center held the opening ceremony of the celebration for its 5th anniversary. Supported by UNESCO Creative City (Shanghai) Promotion Office and Florence Municipality, Politburo Member and Shanghai Municipal Party Committee Secretary Han Zheng, Chinese Ambassador to Italy Li Ruiyu, CPC Central Committee’s International Department’s Deputy Head Li Jun, Shanghai Municipal Party Committee’s Standing Committee Member and Executive Vice Mayor Zhou Bo, Shanghai Municipal Party Committee’s Standing Committee Member and Municipal Party Committee’s Secretary General Ge Yujie, Italian Democratic National Committee’s Member and Florence Metropolitan Mayor and Florence Mayor Dario Nardella, Florence Foreign Affairs Deputy Mayor Ana Paula Concha, Florence Economy and Tourism Deputy Mayor Cecilia Delay, DoBe Group’s Board Chairman Jia Bo, representatives from Chinese and Italian political and business circles attended the opening ceremony.
As the ancient Silk Road’s finishing point, during the Rome Empire, Italy was an important link on the trading channel that started from Chang’an in the east and ended at Rome in the west, connected China to Asia and Europe. Today, following the “Belt and Road” Initiative for win-win and shared development, more frequent and deeper economic and cultural exchanges have become China and Italy’s common appeals. Therefore, for this celebration, the sponsor plans to select 20 design agencies and enterprises from Shanghai for a series of exhibitions in Italy, to create opportunities for Chinese design agencies to exchange experience with world leading design firms and agencies, let them have a deep understanding of international brand building and management models, help them channel international creative design resources.
It is reported the celebration will last from June to the end of the year. During this period, a series of contests, forums, exhibitions and celebrations, including a series of exhibitions titled “Shanghai Saloon”, a global design contest and innovation forum titled “iDreamer”, a paining exhibition titled “The Trail of the Silk Road”, will be held at Piazza della Repubblica Firenze, Piazzale Michelangelo and Sino Italian Design Exchange Center (Florence Base). Shanghai also will take part in Florence’s F-light and the Florence Marathon. The shared bicycle company Mobike popular in Shanghai will open an office in Florence during the series of events. Through market development, overseas exchanges and exhibitions, Sino Italian Design Exchange Center has sped up Chinese cultural and creative products, designers and proprietary brands’ pace of “going out”, further promoted non-governmental exchanges between Shanghai and Florence.
By combining “coming in” and “going out”, Shanghai & Florence-Sino Italian Design Exchange Center has created a new pattern for Shanghai and Florence to have cooperation and exchanges in creative and design industries, built a partnership between China and Italy on multiple levels in a broad field, promoted in-depth cooperation between China and Italy in creative and design fields, carried out the strategy of “driving multiple points by one point” in the European market. The project will add fuel to China’s in-depth cooperation with Italy in design, culture and business.
Supported by Shanghai Municipality and Florence Municipality, in March 2014, Shanghai & Florence-Sino Italian Design Exchange Center (Florence Base) was opened and went into operation. DoBe Group is the only Chinese organization in charge of the Florence Base’s operation. In terms of operation, DoBe provides enterprises with a series of one-stop services, including overseas R&D, design promotion, overseas registration, patent application. As a result, DoBe has opened the channel for Chinese enterprises to enter the European market and built a platform for industrial exchanges and business talks. What’s more, with Shanghai & Florence-Sino Italian Design Exchange Center as a carrier, hand in hand with Florence Strozzi Foundation, Shanghai Garment Trade Association, Shanghai International Fashion Federation, Chinese Artists Association in Florence and other organizations, DoBe Group has built a high-quality platform for B2B cooperation between China and Europe in design and fashion fields. Since it started operation, more than 30 Chinese enterprises have opened studios or offices at the Florence Base, while nearly 20 Italian enterprises have settled down in the incubator in Shanghai. Shanghai & Florence-Sino Italian Design Exchange Center has become the bridgehead for Chinese enterprises to “go out” and European enterprises to “come in”.
According to reports, since it was established, Sino Italian Design Exchange Center has hosted nearly 150 cultural and creative events in different fields, of different types. The International Contemporary Chinese Calligraphy Biennale “Calligraphy Worth Collecting”, Wu Changshuo’s Shanghai Style Art Exhibition, as well as other cultural and art exhibitions were held here. Apart from cultural and art events, the construction of the “Belt and Road” and the Eurasian Economic Belt also have brought new opportunities for Sino-Italian economic exchanges and trade. Therefore, Sino Italian Design Exchange Center also organized Sino-Italian Cultural and Economic Exchanges in the “Belt and Road” Tour Project, the 1st Shanghai Style Art and Design Innovation Forum during “Shanghai & Florence—Creative Twin Cities”, as well as other exchanges and forums. All kinds of colorful cultural events and exhibitions have given a unique oriental touch to Strozzi Villa, the ancient building that witnessed the most glorious times during the Italian Renaissance.
As a service provider for cultural, creative, sci-tech and innovative enterprises, DoBe Group always regards “supporting Chinese enterprises’ international development” as its own mission. Next, DoBe will follow the ancient Silk Road, bring creative parks to other countries along the “Belt and Road”.
In the next 3 years, DoBe will successively build international parks in more than 10 international cities around the world, including London of Britain, Tel Aviv of Israel, Paris of France, Munich of Germany, Tokyo of Japan, New York of the USA, Melbourne of Australia. DoBe wants to build a global service platform, as an “embassy” for enterprises, to pave the road for foreign international cultural and sci-tech enterprises that want to enter the Chinese market and open green channels for domestic enterprises that want to become international. DoBe not only serves Chinese cultural and sci-tech enterprises, but also serves global cultural and sci-tech enterprises. By providing international two-way services, it will realize its double-drive global development strategy.
