Industrial design is an integrated innovative activity that mainly focuses on industrial products and optimizes the function, structure,quality, shape, package and service with scientific and technological results and the knowledge of technology, aesthetics, psychology and economy. In fact, it is an effective means to upgrade industrial level, make products more competitive and increase effective supply. Otherwise, it is also an important hallmark to measure the industrial development level of a country or a region. As Hebei enjoys a solid base of manufacturing, it has tremendous needs for industrial design. Accelerating the development of industrial design is a major measure that promotes and learns the spirit of 19th National Congress, executes new concept of development, deeply carries out supply-side reform. Additionally, it is concrete action to continue to the new pathway of enhancing transformation, green development and revolutionary upgrade and carry out the requirements of innovation, combination, reform, opening up and quality. Furthermore, it is a direct link in enriching the diversity of products, improving the added-value of products and building known brands and a credible method to make Hebei’s industrial development transform from basic raw materials and intermediate products to the expansion to complete appliances and terminal products. In order to make industrial design play a role in contributing to innovation and help industry transform and upgrade as well as building a strong industrial province, we hereby make following policies and measures.

Expand the Service Supply of Industrial Design

1. Foster the growth of professional industrial design enterprises. Related governments should support industrial design enterprises in strengthening the building of design and service ability, innovating service pattern and creating service brand as it seeks to construct a series of advantaged key enterprises that are more competitive. As a reward, the government of province will give 1 million yuan for the enterprise that has been established for over two years and has provided service for over 50 enterprises as well as has reached the standard of provincial industrial design demonstration enterprise after assessment.

2. Bring in industrial design agencies at home and abroad. The government should strongly introduce famous industrial design agencies (enterprises) and studios that are home to some leading designers and encourage excellent talents in industrial design all over the country to start business in Hebei. As a reward, the government of province will give disposable operating subsidies of 2 million yuan and 1 million yuan respectively for the branches of famous design agencies and known studios of leading designers that have been registered in Hebeiand have operated steadily for over 1 year as well as have been recognized by a third party. Furthermore, all municipal governments should provide introduced industrial design agencies (enterprises) free office rooms for no less than 3 years.  

3. Support enterprises in establishing industrial design centers. Governments should encourage eligible manufacturing enterprises to invest more on industrial design and set up independent industrial design centers as well as found chief designers in a bid to improve overall ability of design innovation. As a reward, the government of province will give 1 million yuan for the enterprise that has been established for over two years and economic benefits have been brought by design products as well as has been assessed as the standard of provincial industrial design center after assessment. What’s more, if it reaches the standard of national industrial design center, the government will give another 1 million yuan.

4. Accelerate the clustering of industrial design enterprises. All governments should strengthen the planning and arrangement of industry and enhance the building of industry community of industrial design, which includes Xiongan New Area International Design Eco-City, Shijiazhuang Industrial Design Innovation Park, Qinhuangdao Zhongrui Design Harbor and Design Park, Baidaihe Design Corridor, Tangshan Industrial Design Park and other clustering areas in other cities. Virtually, the administrator can safeguard them in land, taxation and finance, project building and public service so as to construct a batch of demonstration areas of industrial design that have a radiant effect on regional development.

5. Implement tax incentives. As for the industrial design enterprise that is recognized as high-tech enterprise, government will levy business income tax at the rate of 15 percent. In industrial design enterprise, it is allowed to deduct the expenditure on education that is less than 8 percent of total salary from taxable income. It is exempt from added-value tax when profits are made due to industrial design enterprise offers technology transfer, design and development and related technical consultation as well as technical service. Eligible costs of industrial design made by related enterprise are executed according to pre-tax weighted deduction.  

Stimulate the Market Demand of Industrial Design

6. Encourage relevant enterprises to purchase industrial design service. Government should support manufacturing enterprises in cooperating with industrial design agencies to outsource its eligible design business and build a long and stable partnership as it seeks to make products upgrade and brand building more fast. When the enterprise purchases industrial design service, it can apply for a subsidy that is 50 percent of actual cost of service contract and no more than 200 thousand yuan. What’s more, as for the enterprise that has stable partnership with industrial design agencies for over 3 years, 500 thousand yuan is awarded as a subsidy.

7. Support the transformation of industrial design achievements. Embolden and guide the enterprise to utilize industrial design and optimize the exterior, structure and function as well as research original new products and improve the quality of supply. Government should render a subsidy of 50 percent of approved expenses to application projects that are assessed as transformation of industrial design achievements, which are no more than 1 million yuan as for a single project. 

8. Support the enterprise in participating in design innovation competitions. 50 thousand yuan is awarded to the owners of gold award of iF Design Award, Red Dot Award and Best of the Best. 20 thousand yuan is awarded to the owners of gold award of China Excellent Industrial Design. Moreover, 10 thousand yuan is awarded to the owners of other awards of iF and Red Dot, IDEA Award and GMARK Award.  

9. Reinforce the protection of intellectual property. In order to protect innovative achievements of industrial design and designers’ rights and interests, it is encouraged for enterprise and individual to apply for a patent and register a trademark as well as register copyright. Meanwhile, it is recommended to mark the name of design agencies and designers in product or package. Illegal actions that infringe intellectual property such as tort, imitation and piracy must be strictly stricken and be placed on a blacklist of social credit.

Strengthen the Design Innovation of Industry and Product

10. Focus on the breakthrough of key industries and key products. Surrounding some key fields such as robot, smart terminal, intelligent home, wearable device, household electric appliance, communications product, audio and video equipment, medical electronics, dairy product, vegetable protein beverage, domestic ceramic, glass, clothing, luggage and fur, government should choose a batch of typical products to realize gathering the resources of design factor and forming a series of innovative achievements of industrial design. 

11. Focus on the upgrade of regional characteristic industries. Government should encourage all cities to strongly promote the development of industrial design on the basis of the clustering of characteristic industries and put the development of business mode and new business like “Design+Brand”, “Design+Science and Technology”, “Design+Culture” forward and build an industrial chain of “Design+”. Government should make an effort to improve regional characteristic industries which include cashmere of Qinghe, Xingtai, wire mesh of Anping, Hengshui, luggage of Baigou, Baoding, art glass of Hejian, Cangzhou and Shahe, Xingtai as well as china of Tangshan and embed industrial design in each segment of industrial chain. Additionally, the related authority ought to strengthen the study and promotion of design’s standard, specification and method and provide preferential support in purchasing service of industrial design and transformation of industrial design achievements as it seeks to build a delivery of regional brands as soon as possible that have a significant effect on regional development. 

Build Brand Activities about Industrial Design

12. Carry out“A competition in a week ”. Government will hold innovative competitions about industrial design and innovate in activity contents and forms in a bid to build influential competitions across China and the world. In fact, special award, gold award and other awards are established. As a reward, 1 million is offered to the owner of special award and 500 thousand is offered to the owner of gold award. Besides, priority will be given those owners of above award in commending excellence and evaluating title. Hebei International Industrial Design Week is held with choosing a city famous in industrial design (region) across China and the world as a partner. Meanwhile, a series of activities such as forum, exhibition, interactive experience and design’s tour will be operated so as to build high-end brands of the communication and cooperation of industrial design.

13. Encourage the organization of special brand activities. Government should support industry associations, universities and industrial parks in organizing various forms of industrial design competitions, forums, exhibitionsand other activities. For major activities approved by the provincial government, subsidies should be no more than 3 million yuan on the basis of actual scale, expenditureand effect; Andmajor international exchange activities may be subsidized on a case-by-case basis.

Strengthen the Development Foundation of Industrial Design

14. Encourage the construction of design and innovation centers. TheHebei Industrial Design Innovation Center will be built with high standard in a bid to gather high-end design resources at home and abroad and provide one-stop service such as top-level design, strategic consultingand design promotion. Each city will set up a municipal-level industrial design innovation center that is supported and awarded by provincial government.

15. Build platforms for design service. Support the construction of service platforms such as industrial design resources database, achievements presentation library, the printing center of rapid mould prototype and engineering laboratory. For the key construction projects of public service platforms that areshared by the province, a certain amount of subsidies will be granted in line with the scale of theapproved investment of special audit and thesubsidies of a single project will not exceed 5 millionyuan.

16. Strengthen the training of industrial designpersonnel. Government should encourage domestic colleges and universities to jointly operate with foreign well-known design colleges and encourage outstanding industrial design talents at home and abroad to engage in Hebei’sindustrial design research and teaching work. Additionally, government should support universities and enterprises in jointly buildingtraining bases of industrial design and order-oriented talent training bases as well as implement special training program for 10,000 entrepreneursand conduct on-the-job training for industrial design practitioners. Besides, related department should incorporate industrial design talents into the training and selection of high-level personnel and attempt to establishevaluation, training, incentiveand flow mechanisms of industrial design talents as well as provide some supports with relevant policies.

17. Emphasize the role of industry organizations. Encourage industry associations to use their own resources to carry out industrial design research and promotion. In the way of government’s purchase of service, various industry organizations are supported to collect and provide information related to design and undertake planning research, policy publicity, statistical investigationand display forum, which provides strong support for the development of industrial design.

Conscientiously Reinforce Organization and Promotion

18. Strengthen organization and leadership. HebeiIndustrial Design Development Leading Group is set up, which is headed by the deputy governor of the province and members include the responsible comrades of the relevant department of the province so as to coordinate and promote the development of industrial design. The office of the leading groupis located in Industry and Information Technology Department of Hebei Province.The governments of all cities (including Dingzhou and Xinji) must establish correspondingleading groups to form a joint force for promoting the development of industrial design.

19. Strengthen financial support. At the beginning, the provincial finance will utilize no less than 500 millionyuan in a bid to support the development of industrial design. The municipal governments set up related special fund for the development of industrial designand form a multi-level support mechanism. The development fund for industrial design is established focusing on supportingthe “double creation” activities inindustrial design.

20. Increase propaganda. Make full use of the province's major news media and domestic new media to actively promote crucial decisions in industrial design arrangement, supporting policiesand typical cases made by provincial party committee and provincial government and tell Hebei’sstories about design well as well as create a good atmosphere for the whole society to understand, valueand participate in industrial design.