BEIJING, Aug. 25 (Xinhuanet) -- A national center for design will open this October in Beijing. The 60,000 square meter complex will feature a market, design hall of fame and offices.

"A bright future lies ahead of China's creative industries," said Yan Aoshuang, municipal science and technology commission head.

The center will give businesses and consumers access to the latest industrial and software technology. It is expected to house more than 100 renowned design firms and institutions by 2013, said Yan.

"By bringing creative industries to Beijing, we can help the city's design market reach its 130 billion yuan revenue goal," she added.

Now the municipal government will build three to five industrial parks and offer financial support to 50 design firms.

Amidst last year's financial crisis, people realized that industrial design was key to corporate growth, said Zhao Weiguo, vice-chairman of the China Industrial Design Association (CIDA).

CIDA Chief Zhu Tao agreed, noting the impossibility of creating unique company brands without proprietary designs.

For every $1 invested in industrial design, $2,500 is generated in sales. And for large companies, the returns can be even higher, research by the Industrial Designers Society of America said.

There is a strong link between design and a company's ability to compete in the market, industrial insiders said.

"Design can be likened to genetics," said expert Liu Yongqi in China Quality Daily. "It determines a product's caliber from its very inception."

"If we find goods that are flawed," he continued, "it is impossible to make fundamental changes without amending the design."

The domestic design sector first gained popularity in the 1980's among China's southern provinces. It has since spread to coastal areas and key inland regions.

Rapid economic growth has companies calling for better designs, said Tian Wenmiao, CIDA vice-secretary-general.

But, such demands aren't always met. Many designers lack innovation, simply altering work done by their foreign peers, said Liu.

Though 300,000 students graduate with industrial design degrees each year, they are often poorly trained in product structure and function.

Under the current legal system, industrial designs can be patented and are eligible for copyright protection.