Play, Well-being and Innovation – Workshops at TORRAS in Shenzhen
It was a great pleasure once again to visit the company TORRAS in Shenzhen – an international company experiencing rapid growth in China’s technological metropolis, often described as China’s answer to Silicon Valley.
We had been invited to conduct a series of workshops over three days exploring different perspectives on well-being, play and innovation under the overall theme PLAY. The focus was on motivation, job satisfaction and the human dimension of working life.
From Nordfyns Folk High School to Shenzhen
The background for the collaboration is somewhat unusual. The founder of TORRAS previously visited Nordfyns Folk High School in Denmark, where he became inspired by the Danish folk high school tradition, our understanding of education and personal formation, and our view of the human being.
This experience led to the invitation to conduct workshops at the company – just as we did for the first time in 2024.
Over three days we explored different perspectives on well-being, play and innovation:
- Mogens Godballe, former principal of Nordfyns Folk High School, spoke from the perspective of Grundtvig’s idea of “Human first.” He reflected on the difference between happiness and well-being and on the human qualities behind creativity, production and innovation.
- Lis Zacho, teacher at Lindevang School, focused on digital Bildung and how we prepare the next generation for a technological world without losing the capacity for presence, play and reflection.
- Hans Henrik Knoop, associate professor at Aarhus University, spoke about well-being as both a strategic and professional resource in modern companies. His point was simple but powerful: Well-being is not the opposite of ambition – it is the foundation that makes ambition sustainable.
A Workplace Built on Engagement and Shared Ownership
During the workshops we met highly engaged employees from many different departments – engineers, programmers, designers and marketing specialists.
Many described long working hours and a fast pace, something that is part of reality in China’s technology sector competing on a global market. Yet we also encountered a group of people who spoke with pride and enthusiasm about their work and the development of the company.
For many, the workplace is more than just a job. It is also a community and a shared project. One employee expressed it this way:
"We work a lot, but we also feel that we are building something together." The management structure is relatively flat, and employee involvement is clearly visible. Ideas can come from every level of the organisation. Around 20 % of the employees hold shares in the company, and the leadership is present in everyday life. The founder and CEO move around among employees and actively participate in dialogue – also during our workshops.
A Danish Setting in the Middle of Shenzhen
It was also fascinating to see how the company had created an almost humorous Danish atmosphere around the workshops.
Already when stepping out of the elevator toward the conference room we were greeted by colourful signs with slogans about happiness, wellbeing, hygge and work-life balance. The posters were illustrated with wind turbines, green fields, bicycles and small lakes.
There were Danish sweets and biscuits in all varieties, and fridge magnets featuring the Little Mermaid, Nyhavn and Amalienborg Palace.
It became a striking and visual symbol of the meeting between two cultures.
A Meeting Between Two Work Cultures
The visit offered an interesting insight into how Danish ideas about well-being, play and personal development can inspire in a very different context. At the same time, the encounter reminds us that inspiration flows in both directions.
While Denmark can contribute perspectives on quality of life, education and balance, we can also learn from China’s energy, perseverance and determination to create new solutions.
Not all Chinese companies resemble TORRAS, but such visits help challenge some of the stereotypes we often have about each other. Just as Chinese educators gain valuable inspiration from visiting Danish forest kindergartens, schools and folk high schools, it is equally valuable for us to see with our own eyes how rapidly China is developing.
And what we have seen is only a small glimpse.
The Human Being as the Most Important Resource
The visit to TORRAS therefore became more than just a company visit. It became a meeting between two ways of understanding work and development.
On one side stands China’s dynamic innovation culture with ambition, speed and a strong drive to create new solutions. On the other side stands the Danish tradition of education, community and a view of the human being where well-being and motivation are seen as the foundation for learning and creativity.
When these perspectives meet, new questions – and new possibilities – arise.
Perhaps the most important resource of the future is neither technology nor capital. Perhaps it is the human energy that emerges when people feel engaged, motivated and part of something larger. And perhaps that is why an idea from Grundtvig, a Danish pastor in the nineteenth century suddenly makes sense in a Chinese technology company in the twenty-first century: Human first.
Facts: TORRAS
- Founded in 2012
- International lifestyle brand within 3C technology and digital lifestyle
- Products include phone covers, chargers, smartphone cooling technology and digital accessories
- Approximately 3,000 employees
- Activities on four continents
- Products sold in 148 countries
- More than 60 million users worldwide
