The Xinhai Enterprise Service maker space in Jinhai subdistrict – in Fengxian district of East China's Shanghai – has been attracting young entrepreneurs since its opening last October.

The premises of the Xinhai Enterprise Service maker space. [Photo/Shanghai Observer]

In the maker space, 21-year-old Li Nan and his teammates are fine-tuning a new type of control box for smart streetlamps powered by the internet of things.

An IoT control box for smart streetlamps is fine-tuned at the maker space. [Photo/Shanghai Observer]

Li is a senior majoring in IoT Engineering at the Shanghai Business School. Since 2022, his team has developed several technology projects – including smart streetlights, intelligent embroidery machines, agricultural automatic irrigation systems, and brainwaves-controlled lamps. 

The shared innovation laboratory of the Xinhai Enterprise Service maker space. [Photo/Shanghai Observer]

"According to evaluations by authoritative third-party institutions, the current value of the team's intellectual properties has reached 1 million yuan ($137,790)," Li estimated.

College student makers like Li make up 85 percent of the users of the Xinhai Enterprise Service.

Lin Yaqing, manager of Xinhai Enterprise Service, said that the space has attracted 17 innovation and entrepreneurship projects in the digital and intelligent new economy – covering areas such as 3D printing, VR exhibitions, digital simulation, and IoT engineering.

Recently, Yuanwei Vision, a startup from the city of Shenzhen in South China, settled there. The company specializes in virtual reality technology and creative content – focusing on AI+XR technology to create immersive cultural tourism consumer-grade virtual filming spaces. 

An entrepreneur promotes his project during an innovation contest. [Photo/Shanghai Observer]

The company's virtual filming space business is currently operating in popular cultural and tourism spots in Shenzhen, Shanghai, Nanjing, Chengdu, Xi'an, and other cities.

Although the teams and makers in the maker space are mostly young, they can still find upstream and downstream partners there, achieving mutual support.

A budding entrepreneur talks with judges about his project during an innovation contest. [Photo/Shanghai Observer]

The Xinhai Enterprise Service has also formed a think tank consisting of 12 experts and academics from various industries to serve as volunteer entrepreneurship mentors – providing targeted professional guidance for young makers.

Source: Shanghai Observer