Detroit’s “City of Design” Delegation Visits Chongqing to Deepen Bilateral Design Cooperation

Recently, Kevin Gilbo, head of Detroit’s “City of Design” and Director of International Strategy at the College for Creative Studies (CCS), led a delegation on a four-day visit to Chongqing. During their stay, the delegation conducted in-depth exchanges at key local enterprises and universities, gaining first-hand understanding of the current state of Chongqing’s design industry and promoting the transition from “consensus at the conference table” to “implementation in practice.”

Strengthening Bilateral Collaboration and Enhancing Industrial Connectivity

The “Chongqing-Detroit Twin-City Design Cooperation Exchange Symposium” was held at the Chongqing Municipal Commission of Economy and Information Technology. Both sides engaged in in-depth discussions on topics including joint events, resource complementarity, and the commercialization of design outcomes. At the symposium, Luo Li, Deputy Director of the Commission, presented an overview of Chongqing’s City of Design development and the industrial strengths of its industrial design sector, while proposing concrete suggestions for bilateral cooperation. Luo Li noted that Chongqing and Detroit have strong industrial complementarity and significant cooperation potential, particularly in areas such as automotive design and equipment design. She recommended focusing on design integration, talent platform development, and the creation of signature design events to strengthen collaboration. Kevin Gilbo stated at the symposium that he would accelerate efforts to promote exchanges between the two cities in automotive design upgrading and design education, and that establishing a regular communication mechanism would further ensure the practical advancement of bilateral cooperation.

Focusing on Design Integration and Continuing Cross-Sector Empowerment

At the Chinese Handicraft magazine office in Chongqing, both sides held in-depth discussions on the theme of cross-border integration between design and traditional handicrafts, exploring potential cooperation such as jointly curating exhibitions and building communication platforms. The representative of Chinese Handicraft expressed interest in participating in overseas exhibitions organized by the College for Creative Studies to enhance the international visibility of traditional Chinese handicrafts through CCS’s platform. The two sides reached consensus on specialized reports on Detroit’s handicraft and design sector, as well as on two-way exchanges.

At Dima Industry, the delegation engaged in precise discussions with the company on product design optimization and expansion into the North American market. A representative of Dima Industry expressed willingness to cooperate with CCS, hoping to leverage its professional expertise to optimize product designs for the North American market. The delegation offered targeted recommendations based on the industrial characteristics of Detroit.

At the Chang’an Auto Global Design Center, the delegation held discussions with company representatives and alumni of CCS. Topics included automotive design trends and talent development, exploring possibilities for multi-faceted cooperation. The talks laid the groundwork for substantive cooperation in automotive design between the two cities and for Chang’an Auto’s connection to international resources.

Strengthening University-Level Collaboration and Exchanging Design Wisdom

At Chongqing University of Posts and Telecommunications, the delegation discussed topics such as design program development and talent cultivation models, exploring future directions for robotics design education. Both sides reached consensus on curriculum development, faculty sharing, and student/faculty exchanges, agreeing to refine cooperation plans as soon as possible to advance institutional collaboration.

At the Sichuan Fine Arts Institute (SFAI), both sides focused on the coordinated development of new energy vehicle design education and explored the feasibility of jointly developing industry textbooks, forming initial collaborative concepts. SFAI proposed incorporating resources from local Chongqing automotive companies and integrating practical case studies, a suggestion that was unanimously approved. Both sides agreed that jointly developing textbooks would not only integrate educational resources from both cities and elevate the standard of NEV design education but also cultivate more high-quality design talent for the industry. This effort is expected to become a model collaboration in the field.

Chongqing and Detroit, both recognized as Cities of Design, each possess unique industrial advantages and strong complementarity. During this visit, leveraging Chongqing’s strengths in automotive, motorcycle, and equipment industries, the Detroit delegation focused on exploring multi-level, broad-based, and sustainable cooperation in areas such as industrial design innovation and talent cultivation. Both cities will take this opportunity to further deepen practical cooperation, promote the transformation of outstanding design outcomes, and write a new chapter in twin-city design collaboration.