The ancient city of Dingzhou has been known as “the strategic city in China, the important city near the capital”, which has a profound historical and cultural background. The government of Dingzhou city attaches great importance to industrial design and implements the industrial development plan of "Research and Development in Beijing, Tianjin and Xiongan & Intelligent Manufacturing in Dingzhou", and the development momentum is swift and violent. On April 8, Yan Shi, vice director of Hebei Industrial Design Innovation Center, Liu Wandi, Liu Junhu and others from the Development Department of HIDC, went to Dingzhou City to carry out research work. In the morning, the investigation delegation participated in the industrial design symposium of Dingzhou industrial enterprises to understand the specific situation and design requirements of Dingzhou’s industrial development. In the afternoon, the investigation delegation went to Hebei Baota Medical Equipment Co., Ltd. to conduct a more in-depth field research.

01 Industrial Design Symposium of Dingzhou Industrial Enterprises

In the morning, the investigation delegation participated in the industrial design symposium of Dingzhou industrial enterprises in Dingzhou Industrial Design Innovation Center.

The meeting was presided over by Cai Hongyu, Vice Director of Administrative Committee of Dingzhou Economic Development Zone, Zhao Weimin, Director of Dingzhou Science and Technology Bureau, Liu Hongliang, Director of Enterprise Service First Bureau of Administrative Committee of Dingzhou Economic Development Zone, Wang Xiaojie, Director of Enterprise Service Second Bureau, Yan Shi, Vice Director of Hebei Industrial Design Innovation Center, Zhang Wei, Director of the Dingzhou Industrial Design Innovation Center, Chen Shibin, Responsible Person of Shenzhen Haoyun Culture Technology Co., Ltd., Li Xiaopeng, Responsible Person of Hebei Riyi Technology Co., Ltd., Li Jinhuo, Responsible Person of Hebei Jinhong Halal Meat Co., Ltd., Jia Yongzhan, Responsible Person of Hebei Baota Medical Equipment Co., Ltd. and other responsible persons of more than ten enterprises attended the meeting. 

At the meeting, Zhao Weimin, Director of Dingzhou Science and Technology Bureau, first summarized the achievements of industrial design and development work of Dingzhou and made specific arrangement for key work in 2021. Since 2020, Dingzhou Science and Technology Bureau has closely centered on the high-quality development of the manufacturing industry, focusing on traditional industries and key industries. It has vigorously promoted the industrial design work of whole city by strengthening top-level design, cultivating typical demonstrations, increasing matching services, building service platforms, etc.  

Subsequently, Zhang Wei, Director of the Dingzhou Industrial Design Innovation Center, explained the high-quality development of industrial design energizing the manufacturing industry. In view of the weak foundation of industrial design work in Dingzhou City, the weaker industrial design concepts and innovation capabilities of enterprises, and the huge pressure of transformation and upgrading of traditional industries as a whole, the center continues to make efforts in innovation capabilities, achievement transformation, talent gathering, and integration of industry, study and research. From the perspectives of strengthening the concept, promoting transformation, and enhancing characteristics, a large number of feasible efforts to promote the implementation of industrial design in Dingzhou, such as the industrial matchmaking conference, the products industrial design competition, and the branch venue of the Hebei International Industrial Design Week, which have output industrial design concepts, popularized industrial design knowledge, stimulated the vitality of the industrial design market, and injected new impetus into the high-quality development of Dingzhou. In the end, Director Zhang Wei introduced and analyzed some specific design cooperation cases such as packaging design of Hebei Huolaishun Halal brand, Chinese traditional characteristic masks of Hebei Baota, and so on. He also introduced the key work directions such as “Promotion Year of Dingzhou Brand” and “Fund Driven by Design” proposed by the Dingzhou Industrial Design Innovation Center in 2021.

As a young designer entrepreneur, Chen Shibin, Responsible Person of Shenzhen Haoyun Culture Technology Co., Ltd., shared the service content of the industrial design company. After the epidemic, the whole people’s awareness of Chinese brands and Chinese culture has increased, which will slowly affect consumption decisions, even culture, books, and all aspects of film and television. Facing the opportunities and challenges, it’s vital to create national consumption brand, but how do companies attach local culture and corporate philosophy to products and brands so that consumers can get a true and comprehensive perception? Chen Shibin provided answers by many cases such as “Shigaraki Ceramic”, “Tape of Cultural and Creative Industries”, “Small Appliance for One-Person Eating” and so on.

After a wonderful case sharing, participating enterprises exchanged views on industrial design work. Li Jinhuo, Responsible Person of Hebei Jinhong Halal Meat Co., Ltd. said that from the initial small workshop to today’s Hebei Jinhong, the company has gradually grown from small scale to large scale and from weak strength to strong strength through continuous integration of resources, technological innovation, transformation and upgrading. However, with the rapid development of the enterprises, the volume zone product packaging cannot satisfy the brand requirements of enterprises. With the help of Dingzhou Industrial Design Innovation Center and Hebei Yunbo Industrial Design Co., Ltd., we finally created our own packaging features and design language, which enhanced the enterprise’s own brand characteristics, greatly improved enterprise brand awareness, and promoted the expansion of the company’s sales channels and the substantial rise in sales revenue. Through this cooperation, the company also fully understands that industrial design is an important part of the construction of the core competitiveness of an enterprise, and recognizes the importance of industrial design to the enterprise brand and enterprise culture.

Jia Yongzhan, Responsible Person of Hebei Baota Medical Equipment Co., Ltd., said that in 2020, we have carried out a series of cooperation with Hebei Quandian Brand Design Co., Ltd., including LOGO upgrading of enterprise, product packaging design, design for first-aid health kit, design for exhibition hall layout, etc. Since the outbreak of the epidemic, masks have become the focus of public attention. This year, Hebei Baota Medical, together with Shenzhen Haoyun Culture Technology Co., Ltd. and CITIC Press Group, jointly launched the “Chinese Year, Chinese Color” masks, which made us deeply aware that if enterprises want to continuously develop towards the direction of high-end and innovation, they should take the road of industrial design.

Liu Fenping, Responsible Person of Hebei Fuyuan Agricultural Technology Co., Ltd., put forward the problems existing in the development of enterprises at the present stage. He expressed that compared with similar products sold in supermarkets, the sales prices are wildly different. The competitiveness of self-owned brands of enterprises is poor, and original equipment manufacture processing has time and cost restrictions, which keeps the company in a weak position. Although we realized the importance of brand, we still do not know much about how to do a brand before. With the implementation of on-site research and the launch of this symposium, we have a preliminary idea. Next, we will actively cooperate with Dingzhou Industrial Design Innovation Center to identify the enterprise brand positioning and strengthen research and development innovation.

Shi Daimeng, Responsible Person of Hebei Hengda Sports Culture Supplies Group Co., Ltd., said that the company is mainly engaged in dumbbell and barbell business. With the transformation of consumers’ product requirements from functional requirements to personalized requirements, the design is playing an increasingly important role in improving user experience and enhancing brand added value. At present, enterprises have great demand for brand upgrading and product design, and it is hoped that through the platform of Dingzhou Industrial Design Innovation Center, enterprises can go abroad and achieve transformation and upgrading.

Hao Qiushi, Responsible Person of Hebei Jinniu Yuanda Pharmaceutical Technology Co., Ltd., expressed that Jinniu Pharmaceutical started with Jinniu Zhangpu in 1616 AD and has a long history of more than 400 years. The problem that Jinniu Yuanda Pharmaceutical wants to solve at present is to inject the soul of design into the enterprise culture, so as to let more consumers break the stereotype and understand the enterprise culture and product concept conveniently and quickly.

Finally, Zhao Weimin, Director of the Dingzhou Science and Technology Bureau, put forward that it is hoped that all responsible persons of enterprises will take this opportunity to fully understand the positive effects of industrial design innovation on improving the level of enterprise’s own products and enhancing product competitiveness, actively promote the various work of Dingzhou industrial design innovation to a new level, achieve new breakthroughs, and make outstanding contributions to accelerating the construction of an open and modernized node city in Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region.

02 Hebei Pagoda Medical Equipment Co., Ltd.

In the afternoon, Yan Shi, deputy director of Hebei Industrial Design Innovation Center, Zhang Wei, director of Dingzhou Industrial Design Innovation Center, and Chen Shibin, head of Shenzhen Good Luck Culture Technology Co., Ltd. and other delegations visited Hebei Pagoda Medical Equipment Co., Ltd..

Hebei Pagoda Medical Equipment Co., Ltd., was formerly known as Dingzhou Sanitary Materials Factory, founded in 1953, is a professional manufacturer of medical dressings. The trademark registered by the manufacturer is "Pagoda", with advanced production equipment, complete detection means, strong technical force and modern scientific management system. Its main products are absorbent cotton gauze, medical absorbent cotton, absorbent bandage, medical adhesive plaster, medical adhesive tape, plaster bandage, medical cotton swabs, infusion stickers and other products, which are sold all over the country and cooperate with many well-known pharmaceutical companies in China.

After listening in detail to the person in charge of Pagoda Medical on the development of the enterprise, the delegation put forward highly targeted and practical advice and suggestions based on the current situation of the enterprise. Later, Lucky Culture, Dingzhou Industrial Design Innovation Center and Pagoda Medical will carry out in-depth cooperation to promote Pagoda Medical to enter the new C-end market through design enhancement, IP injection and supply chain integration, helping the enterprise to realize a new undertaking.

Through the research on the industry of Dingzhou City, the delegation has strengthened the confidence of mobilizing enterprises to carry out brand cultivation work actively and industrial design for industrial development. While continuing to help enterprises strengthen brand building and enhance their independent innovation capability and added value of product brands, HIDC will also give full play to its platform advantages, continue to help docking competent design institutions to provide design services for qualified enterprises, and incite the market with industrial design. We hope that the design take root in Dingzhou and accelerate the gorgeous transformation of "Dingzhou Manufacturing" to "Dingzhou Smart Manufacturing".