Shenzhen: The Silicon Valley of Hardware
The center of the tech world may not be in California’s Silicon Valley, but in the bustling market of Huaqiangbei, a suburb of Shenzhen, China. Curious consumers and industry insiders gather here to feast their eyes on the latest software, hardware, gadgets and electronics of all kinds. It is also the filming location for WIRED UK’s new documentary “Shenzhen: Silicon Valley of Hardware”.
From the very beginning, the film is set in this fascinating technological sanctuary. Shenzhen, with a population of 20 million, is the place most likely to begin progressing at a pace the US cannot replicate. When innovation in Silicon Valley stalled, the city’s dynamic and creative tech workforce took over the jobs. This revolution may have started in the United States, but its development is happening in China. Workers in Shenzhen work together to create unique upgrades and remakes of everything from laptops to cellphones. Their efforts then divert and influence new product launches in other parts of the world.
The infrastructure that makes this possible is known as the “maker movement”. At developer conferences and maker fairs, technologists are encouraged to freely share their ideas with their peers, hoping to bring about greater innovation through more open cooperation. The film highlights how these attitudes contrast sharply with the Western world, where correspondence is secret, monopolies are the norm, and property is sacred.
However, Shenzhen faces challenges in maintaining its leading position in the industry. While Shenzhen is widely regarded as the first mover, its importance has waned as the rest of China has successfully caught up. To add insult to injury, the government has stepped in and moved production out of the city. At the same time, numbers from the investment finance world have entered the equation, imposing a more cohesive and less comprehensible way of working, threatening to stifle creativity.
Shenzhen: Hardware Silicon Valley gives us a glimpse into a system of creative collaboration that will ultimately impact the lives of all of us.
Directed by: Jim Demuth
