Policies, prosperity and beyond: how Shenzhen is embedding culture into development planning

The Purpose

The policy aims to highlight the significance of the cultural industry as one of the four pillar industries in Shenzhen and its role as an endogenous driving force for the high-quality development of the special economic zone.

The Challenge

While the policies and plans aim to promote high-quality development, it is a challenge to ensure that all cultural enterprises and individuals in Shenzhen have fair access to the benefits and support provided by the government.

Shenzhen City implemented cultural system reform and innovative measures to provide support to cultural enterprises in terms of industrial space, R&D investment, and listing financing

The Solution

To promote high-quality development of the cultural industry, Shenzhen City and its districts have introduced a series of development plans and policies with increasing policy funds. They have also implemented cultural system reform and innovative measures to provide support to cultural enterprises in terms of industrial space, R&D investment, and listing financing. These measures and policies aim to foster the growth and development of the cultural industry.

The Impact

From 2011 to 2020, Shenzhen City and its districts introduced more than thirty development plans and supporting policies for the cultural industry. Some of the major city-level policies mentioned include “Shenzhen Cultural and Creative Industry Revitalisation and Development Policy” (2011), “Measures for the Management of Special Funds for the Development of Shenzhen Cultural and Creative Industries” (2012), and “Measures for the Financial Support of Special Funds for the Development of Cultural Industries in Shenzhen” (2020). These policies and measures have had a significant impact on the growth and development of the cultural industry in Shenzhen, making it one of the key drivers of the special economic zone’s high-quality development

Source: World Cities Culture Report 2022