We have to congratulate ourselves for the recent announcement by the Government of the promotion of the Digital, Audiovisual and Videojoc Hub at Tres Xemeneies because the main institutions of our country have listened to the clamor of the industry that requested investments in new infrastructures. They have understood that it is necessary to have state-of-the-art equipment that unites talent training with companies, creativity with technology or research with industry in order to be competitive in such a globalized sector.
Although in the collective imagination the audiovisual industry is still associated with the media and with television, film and advertising production, it is currently incorporated into our daily lives in multiple sectors and formats: corporate communication, event production , video games, immersiveness in all its derivatives and content for experience industries such as tourism, culture and sports. According to 2021 data from the Department of Business, the audiovisual sector has a turnover of more than 6,700 million euros and employs some 31,000 people. Therefore, it is an industry that today already has great economic importance in Catalonia. On a global scale, the audiovisual sector is growing steadily, especially in the segments of videogames, immersiveness and audiovisual platforms. In the coming years, it is expected that these platforms that serve fiction, entertainment and sports content will continue to grow and that they will simultaneously expand into corporate, educational and health fields. The future possibilities of audiovisual are endless.
In such a competitive and globalized audiovisual market, Catalonia is and must continue to be competitive, because we are strong and differential in outstanding areas such as creativity, mastery of technology, training and the generation of new talent. For all these reasons, it makes so much sense to promote a transversal hub that connects the Catalan audiovisual industry with other world hubs and favors the retention of talent. A hub that also serves as a driving force to complement other audiovisual parks such as the expansion of the Audiovisual Park of Catalonia in Terrassa and new business incubation facilities such as Palo Alto in Barcelona that would compensate for the current deficit of audiovisual infrastructure in Catalonia.
We are in a moment of opportunity, there has never been a circumstance that having a good comprehensive audiovisual ecosystem would allow us to lead the sector. We come from a history where the most important thing was to have the main television operators close to home. But if we want to consolidate these good prospects, it will not be enough with the hub, it will be necessary for all the agents of the industry, the different ministries involved, political parties, governments and institutions to work together, in a coordinated and generous way and with a strategic view so that Catalonia does not miss this opportunity to become the audiovisual center of southern Europe.
