Guangdong reports increase in service platforms for entrepreneurs

GUANGZHOU - The number of "maker spaces" for entrepreneurs and innovators in South China's Guangdong province has reached 140, the provincial technology authority said on Thursday.

Maker spaces are service centers or work facilities that support innovation. They provide financing, technical support, office space, and other help for start-ups, and create online or physical communities where people can learn, share, and work.

Eighty percent of the spaces are funded by private capital, according to the Science and Technology Bureau of Guangdong Province, adding that 48 maker spaces are located in the provincial capital, Guangzhou, while 29 are in Shenzhen.

Registered companies using the maker spaces have exceeded 3,000, according to the bureau.

The maker spaces in Guangdong province provide services for startups in finance, workspace, and creative industry development, said Chen Qing, an official from the Torch High Technology Industry Development Center of the Ministry of Science and Technology.

"Guangdong province has strong manufacturing industries and excellent technical talent, so maker spaces that focus on helping startups turn creative ideas into real products are especially welcomed here," Chen said during a training session held in Guangzhou on Thursday.

The Chinese government has been working to make things easier for innovators and entrepreneurs in the hopes that they will become a new engine to drive growth.