Shenzhen Hardware Hacker Scene – Key People & Places

Guest Post: Martin Pasquier

If you were waiting for a sign that China has changed and is an amazing huge thing adapting to the new industrial revolution, Shenzhen hosting a Maker Faire is probably a good sign.

Take what was a fishing village 30 years ago, with 200-300 000 inhabitants.

Credit: Chris  CC

Create a special economic zone to attract migrants from all over the country.

Make it the biggest factory-city in the world. Wait a few years.

When you feel the internet wave hitting the hardware and manufacturing industry, turn it into a capital city for prototypers and makers of all sorts.

Add new innovative stuff, from open-innovation into life sciences to think tanks.

Shenzhen, from the fishing village to the 20 million Population Manufacturing Juggernaut in 30 years.

Well, that’s quite a series of shortcuts but you get the bigger picture: Shenzhen, China, is increasingly recognized as the city in the world where creating hardware and real stuff is not only possible, but cheaper and better than anywhere else.

Here are the key facts and people in the Shenzhen Maker Movement

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Original story and Slide Deck by Martin Pasquier from Innovation is Everywhere, a world tour of tech and startup ecosystems in the emerging markets. Mike Nicholls edited, adapted and contributed to this story.

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