Forum spotlights sustainable innovation

Around 140 enterprise representatives in the fashion and high-tech industries gathered for a forum on the progress toward sustainable innovation held in Shenzhen yesterday.

“Sustainable development is our key strategy,” said Cai Jin-qing, president of Kering Group China, before adding that faced by the global challenges of the 21st century, including soaring populations and demands, resource shortages and climate change, a sustainable development model has become a necessity.

“As a result, we decided to come to Shenzhen to seek more creative opinions, especially from a technological perspective, as Shenzhen is an innovation city,” said Cai.

Cai called on people at the forum to help spread the idea of sustainable fashion, either by directly telling people or by sharing the idea on social media.

Xia Bing, vice president of international business with Shenzhen-based Malong Technologies, was invited to deliver a speech titled “How AI enhances sustainable fashion.”

Xia said that with artificial intelligence (AI), the fashion industry can become more efficient. Algorithms are able to predict trends. In other words, it can help tell fashion companies which clothes will be more popular among their customers, according to Xia.

In terms of manufacturing, AI can also help achieve automation. Xia suggested that the application of AI in the fashion supply chain would help the industry run in a more sustainable way.

Three entrepreneurs, all born in the 1990s, shared their opinions on this topic during a panel discussion. When asked why they decided to start their businesses in Shenzhen, Gui Jiaxun, co-founder of Vue Glasses, said that sustainable development is dependent on technologies, and Shenzhen is a key player in this respect.