Apple Opens App Design and Development Accelerator in Shanghai

Apple has announced the opening of a new Design and Development Accelerator in Shanghai as part of an effort to support engineering talent and boost growth in China's iOS developer community.

Located in Pudong District, the Accelerator is being launched to give Chinese developers a chance to work closely with Apple experts to enhance their app development skills, learn how to take advantage of the latest Apple software and hardware, and get tips on app marketing and distribution.

"Developers here in China are leading the world with some of the most popular apps on the App Store, and we are proud to be providing this additional support for them," said Enwei Xie, Apple’s head of developer relations, Greater China. "From education to health to entertainment, the innovation we see here is incredible and we can't wait to see what these talented developers will come up with next."

The first Accelerator program focused on how to implement Apple's augmented reality technologies, with an in-depth look at the latest updates to ARKit 3, AR Quick Look, Reality Composer, and RealityKit. According to Apple, the range of activities includes lectures, workshops, labs, guest speakers, train the trainers, and networking on a regular basis.

Apple says Greater China has over 2.5 million app developers, and since 2010, local developers have earned over 200 billion RMB through App Store sales, with over 30 percent of those earnings made in the past year alone.

Shanghai's Accelerator follows a similar scheme Apple launched in 2017 in Bangalore, India. To attend programs, attendees must be registered members of the Apple Development Program and have an Apple ID registered in the region.