Is Shenzhen a precedent for seasteads? We ask Venezuelan scientist, futurist, economist, engineer and author, José Luiz Cordeiro, in this podcast interview.

Shenzhen is China’s first and most successful Special Economic Zone (SEZ), a region where economic restrictions are lifted to attract investment and create jobs. In 1980 Shenzhen was a fishing village, and now it is one of the nation’s wealthiest cities.

José, a world-traveler who has visited at least 135 countries in his quest to understand human flourishing, arranged for Patri, Randy, and me to be interviewed by a South Korean film crew at Singularity University, where he serves as a faculty member. In between video takes, José was eager to talk about why Shenzhen may not only represent our future on the sea, but in space.

Of course, like all good economists, he has a few caveats. I hope you enjoy our conversation as much as I did.

Joe Quirk,

Seavangelist