WITH its well-developed manufacturing, high-tech industries and an open, innovative environment, Shenzhen is attracting makers from around the world, experts said during a roundtable meeting at the 2nd China (Shenzhen) International Industrial Design Fair on Sunday.

More than a dozen makers and scholars from home and abroad shared their experiences and discussed the development of makers and how they can change a city.

During the meeting, the city released its Shenzhen Declaration of Global Makers to express its support. Mayor Xu Qin designated the week of June 18 as the city’s international makers week

“Makers are having an increasingly important influence on the world. They could change the mode of economic development and people’s lifestyles in the future,” said Peng Xinye, deputy director of Economy, Trade and Information Commission of Shenzhen Municipality.

Spaniard Tomas Diez and his team are working with the city of Barcelona to promote innovation and develop smart citizens. They set up FABLAB in Barcelona to help people’s innovations come to life.

“FABLAB is a place where makers can have access to tools, such as laser cutters and electronics, to create projects and find solutions to problems,” Diez said. “FABLAB creates makers and makers change cities.”

Lyn Jeffery, director of U.S.-based Institute for the Future, echoed Diez’s idea.

Jeffery said makers should try to solve urban problems, such as unemployment and food safety, through their creations.

Silvia Lindtner, a professor from the University of Michigan in the United States, said makers should visit Shenzhen’s Huaqiangbei global electronics base to touch hardware components and feel how the city’s rich manufacturing experience can help them turn ideas into products.

In addition, Shenzhen is designated as a City of Design by UNESCO, and its annual high-tech fair brings together cutting-edge technology, creating a favorable environment for innovation, said Jasen Wang, founder of Make Block, which provides open source hardware for makers and adult players.

Duncan Turner, project director of HAXLR8R, the world’s largest hardware accelerators company, said his company’s headquarters is in Shenzhen because the city has everything they need for design and innovation.

Turner invites makers to gather in Shenzhen every year to work on a new project to turn an idea into a product on the market within four months. He said makers should pay attention to market demands when designing their products.