When Jiang Chengyu was born in 1987, a "printer" referred to a machine for reproducing documents -often at a mind-numbingly slow pace.

Few could have imagined that, only a few decades later, a new generation of printers would be used to create not documents but teeth.

Jiang's improved 3D printer, capable of producing prosthetic teeth, is one of the many ideas that got its start at Zhongguancun's Dream Lab.

"Here we encourage people to fully use their imagination. We provide support to turn their ideas into reality," said Liu Jinjun, general manager of the Dream Lab's administrative entity Beijing Zhonghai Investment Management Co.

At the lab, inventers need not worry about whether their products will make a profit on the market. Liu said they should be primarily concerned with how to tap into their imaginations.

Because it is not overly concerned with cost and profit, the lab's only requirement is that ideas be innovative. This confidence comes from a philosophy embraced by the administrators of Haidian Science Park and Zhongguancun aimed at encouraging innovative thinking. "The ability to think independently and innovatively is getting lost in the country. What we are doing is getting it back," Liu said. Liu said the people in the lab hail from different backgrounds. Some are technicians and professionals who have returned from overseas, while others are teachers and students.

The lab provides them with capital, space, equipment, information and other services.

"We also recommend projects to angel investors and build connections with large enterprises that might be interested in some projects," Liu noted.

The lab's predecessor is the Beijing Maker Space, an open club for anyone with a fresh and innovative enough idea. Wang Shenglin founded Maker Space in 2011, when he had just graduated from university.

When the government realized the importance of the Maker Space, they joined in to build it bigger and stronger, and ultimately they formed the Dream Lab.

But the spirit is the same, and the Maker Space online community is open to people with an innovative heart. Then they bring their ideas to the Dream Lab and make dreams come true. Every week, Wang hosts a technology sharing conference at which people can try to turn their ideas into reality.

"Only if you have an idea, you can come to us and we will provide services for free," Wang said. Liu said a great company often starts from a crazy idea.

"We are not doing meaningless things. We are changing the world," he added.

xuxiao@chinadaily.com.cn

(China Daily 09/12/2013 page24)