The 7th WCIFIT | Major Project Signings and Cutting-Edge Product Launches at the "City of Design" Industrial Design New Product Launch Event

On the afternoon of May 22, the "City of Design" Industrial Design New Product Launch Event" of the 7^th WCIFIT was officially held at Hall N5 of Chongqing International Expo Center. The event focused on key sectors including intelligent connected new energy vehicles, high-end motorcycles, intelligent equipment and intelligent manufacturing, and consumer goods, showcasing Chongqing's outstanding design achievements to the global market and accelerating the development of modern producer services with a focus on industrial design.

On May 22, at the "City of Design" Industrial Design New Product Launch Event" of the 7^th Western China International Fair for Investment and Trade (WCIFIT) held at Chongqing International Expo Center. Photo by Reporter Xie Zhiqiang

As a key manufacturing hub in western China, one of the first batch of national industrial design demonstration cities, and the fifth Chinese city (and first in western China) to be designated as a UNESCO "City of Design", Chongqing has been leveraging industrial design as a core driver to forge new quality productive forces. The city has vigorously advanced the development of design entities, talent, activities, infrastructure, and ecosystems, promoting deep integration between design and manufacturing to "transform good design into premium products". Statistics show that in 2024, design expenditures accounted for 60% of R&D investments in Chongqing's above-scale industrial enterprises; over 80% of "Specialized, Refined, Distinctive and Innovative" enterprises conducted design innovation activities; industrial design contributed to nearly RMB700 billion in new product sales revenue for above-scale industries, driving a 7.3% growth in value-added output from above-scale industries, 1.5 percentage points higher than the national average; and Chongqing's high-quality manufacturing development index ranked first in western China.

Deepening Industry-University-Research Collaboration: Key Projects Signed Collectively

A centralized signing ceremony for industrial design cooperation projects was held at the event, focusing on design park and cluster development, design ecosystem cultivation, and industrial platform construction. A batch of key industrial design projects were signed, aiming to jointly build a collaboratively innovative design industrial chain.

On May 22, at the "City of Design" Industrial Design New Product Launch Event of the 7^th Western China International Fair for Investment and Trade (WCIFIT) held at Chongqing International Expo Center, a centralized signing ceremony for industrial design cooperation projects took place. Photo by Reporter Xie Zhiqiang

Among these agreements, Seres signed a contract with Sichuan Fine Arts Institute to jointly establish the Industrial Design Collaborative Innovation Lab. The lab will be located in Chongqing High-Tech Industrial Development Zone and will focus on: exploration of future mobility scenarios; automotive styling and intelligent interaction design; brand culture IP development; and automotive lifestyle derivative products and new material/process research. Additionally, it will foster interdisciplinary talent through initiatives like joint curriculum development and design competitions.

On May 22, at the "City of Design" Industrial Design New Product Launch Event of the 7^th Western China International Fair for Investment and Trade (WCIFIT) held at Chongqing International Expo Center, the unveiling ceremony of the Industrial Design Collaborative Innovation Lab was inaugurated. Photo by Reporter Xie Zhiqiang/Visual Chongqing

Chongqing Kings Intelligent Technology Co., Ltd. (a wholly-owned subsidiary of Shenzhen Kings 3D Printing Technology Co., Ltd.) has partnered with the Industrial Technology Research Institute, Southwest University (Chongqing) to establish a full-process additive manufacturing design validation innovation center. This collaboration will focus on agricultural machinery equipment, automotive manufacturing, and medical device sectors, covering the entire workflow from product design and simulation optimization to quality inspection. The center is projected to achieve an annual output value exceeding RMB50 million.

Meanwhile, Chongqing Chuanglong Industrial Co., Ltd. has joined forces with Western Automotive (Chongqing) Intelligent Connected Vehicle Research Center Co., Ltd. to build an intelligent connected new energy light truck design innovation base. This facility will integrate R&D design, testing and validation, shared body/chassis platforms, three-electric (battery/motor/electronic control) system development, and smart logistics platform solutions. The project is expected to generate an annual output value of over RMB500 million, while driving more than RMB2 billion in upstream and downstream industrial value.

Expanding Global Markets Together: China-South Korea Future Design Co-Creation Platform Inaugurated

At the event, the China-South Korea Future Design Co-Creation Platform was officially inaugurated and promoted. The platform is led by the Gyeonggido Business & Science Accelerator (GBSA) in collaboration with design resources such as the Gyeonggi Content Agency (GCA), the Korea Institute of Design Promotion (KIDP) and the Seoul Fashion Hub, focusing on the full spectrum of gaming, animation, comics, cartoons, intellectual property (IP) and fashion design. The platform will regularly organize industry matchmaking and exchanges between Chinese and South Korean design and cultural creative enterprises and professionals, and facilitate participation in official industrial events such as WCIFIT and the Gyeonggi Startup Summit to jointly explore international markets. Leveraging SinoSwiss Technopark as its base, the platform will guide the international commercialization of outstanding design achievements from both countries and actively promote the establishment of South Korean design institutions in Chongqing.

On May 22, at the "City of Design" Industrial Design New Product Launch Event of the 7^th Western China International Fair for Investment and Trade (WCIFIT) held at Chongqing International Expo Center, the China-South Korea Future Design Co-Creation Platform was officially inaugurated. Photo by Reporter Xie Zhiqiang

The Design Business Chamber Singapore (DBCS) collaborated with Chongqing Industrial Design Promotion Center to release the Singapore High-quality Design-Led Companies List 2025. The List is curated and published by DBCS, featuring selectively compiled design service offerings from its outstanding member companies. It includes detailed profiles of Singaporean design firms, covering their design specialties, team compositions and project case studies. Through collaboration with the Chongqing Industrial Design Promotion Center, the initiative establishes a China-Singapore design supply-and-demand exchange platform to facilitate the implementation of concrete cooperative projects. Simultaneously, Singapore's CSIID Company has partnered with the Chongqing Industrial Design Vocational Education Group to jointly advance initiatives such as design instructor training, curriculum development, and student exchange programs.

On May 22, at the "City of Design" Industrial Design New Product Launch Event" of the 7^th Western China International Fair for Investment and Trade(WCIFIT) held at Chongqing International Expo Center, the Singapore High-Quality Design-Led Companies List was unveiled. Photo by Reporter Xie Zhiqiang/Visual Chongqing

A Group of Outstanding Municipal-Level Industrial Design Centers Recognized with Accreditation

To cultivate and strengthen Chongqing's industrial design ecosystem, drive the transformation and upgrading of the manufacturing sector, and accelerate the development of industrial design, the event presented official accreditation plaques to representatives of newly designated 2024 Outstanding Municipal-Level Industrial Design Centers, including Zongshen General Power Machine Co., Ltd., Carpenter Tan, and Yanfeng Automotive Technology (Chongqing) Co., Ltd.

On May 22, at the "City of Design" Industrial Design New Product Launch Event of the 7^th Western China International Fair for Investment and Trade (WCIFIT) held at Chongqing International Expo Center, the accreditation ceremony for Chongqing Municipal-Level Industrial Design Center was conducted. Photo by Reporter Xie Zhiqiang

The accredited enterprises span a diverse range of fields, from aerospace composite material design to precision component innovation, from the integration of traditional woodcraft with modern ergonomics to breakthroughs in domestic high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) systems, covering material R&D, equipment manufacturing, and biomedical applications.

Among them, Yanfeng Automotive Technology (Chongqing) Co., Ltd. is a global automotive supply chain enterprise headquartered in Shanghai. Established in Chongqing in 2022, the company has achieved rapid growth through its in-depth collaboration with Seres. "Chongqing's robust automotive industrial foundation and strong design demand have enabled our R&D team to expand to over 600 professionals in just three years, with design capabilities covering the entire automotive cockpit domain. Last year, we drove nearly RMB10 billion in annual sales", said Li Junyan, General Manager of the company, noting that their client base continues to expand.

As of now, Chongqing has nurtured over 50,000 design enterprises, over 500,000 practitioners, 11 national-level industrial design centers, 237 municipal-level industrial design centers, and 10 industrial design master studios. Additionally, the city has established a three-tier cultivation system comprising a Design-driven Enterprise (Institution) Database, municipal-level industrial design centers, and national-level industrial design centers.

AVATR, Embodied AI Robots... A Showcase of Cutting-Edge Innovations

During the new product release segment, a range of groundbreaking achievements in intelligent connected new energy vehicles, high-end equipment, and biomedicine took center stage. Highlights included: the AVATR 12 Royal Theater Edition luxury EV, a next-generation embodied AI dual-arm robot, premium liquid crystal displays, the Cardio-Cerebral Intelligent Care System, and a high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) system with LCD interface. These industrial design products, bearing distinct Chongqing characteristics while commanding global influence, vividly demonstrate the city's success in design commercialization and manufacturing transformation.

On May 22, at the "City of Design" Industrial Design New Product Launch Event" of the 7^th Western China International Fair for Investment and Trade (WCIFIT) held at Chongqing International Expo Center, exhibitors demonstrate "embodied AI robot interactive grasping" to attendees. Photo by Reporter Xie Zhiqiang/Visual Chongqing

For instance, the embodied AI robot developed and manufactured by Chongqing Luokeda Intelligent Equipment Co., Ltd. deeply integrates AI large language models, embodied intelligence engines, and smart vision technologies. Through the efficient coordination of its "AI brain + smart vision system + flexible robotic arms", paired with bionic dexterous five-fingered hands, it achieves highly flexible interactive grasping.

Carpenter Tan debuted its "Heritage Oriental · Intangible Cultural Heritage Series", which incorporates lacquerware and cloisonné enamel techniques (both recognized as intangible cultural heritage). The collection balances aesthetic and collectible value, cultural significance, and practical utility, with prices ranging from RMB888 to 3,880. This exemplifies how Carpenter Tan leverages industrial design to bring intangible cultural heritage closer to consumers' daily lives.

The event gathered nearly 200 distinguished guests, including: representatives from Singaporean and South Korean design industry organizations; officials from "City of Design" administrations in Beijing, Wuhan and Shenzhen; leaders from industry associations and design enterprises in Shandong, Anhui, Sichuan and Hebei provinces; department heads from the Chongqing Economic and Information Commission and its district/county branches; directors of national and municipal-level industrial design centers; and academic leaders from Chongqing University, Sichuan Fine Arts Institute, and other universities.

Source: New Chongqing - Chongqing Daily