A selection of 17 animation executive producers from Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Spain, and Mexico are participating in the inaugural meeting of Quirino Lab, an advanced training program that launched on November 19 in Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Spain.
Over four days, the seminar combines intensive professional development with a strategic vision of the sector, with the dual objective of boosting individual careers and promoting a qualitative leap in animated production in the region. The Quirino Lab is an initiative by Quirino, together with the Tenerife Council through Tenerife Tourism and the Tenerife Film Commission. This event is Quirino’s latest step in building an ecosystem for Ibero-American animation
Focused on innovation, the program is based on five thematic areas that will be developed during the first three days of the lab under the mentorship of renowned experts in the international animation industry, specialists in the sector’s various thematic areas, and professionals from other sectors with relevant expertise in executive production.
The section New Market Trends and Targets will examine macrotrends in the global audiovisual market, the redefinition of different target audiences, and the exploration of innovative business models and distribution strategies, among other topics. The experts in charge of this module are Sofía Hoffmann (from ROSAPARKS and the NGO MEP, Women in Advertising Barcelona) and Gabriela Gardini (Morning Coffee).
In the thematic focus Advanced Organizational Methodologies and Team Management, Paloma Aragón (Ackermann Labs) will discuss the implementation of agile, collaborative, and interdisciplinary organizational structures, the adoption of new tools for project management, and the promotion of creativity and innovation in the workplace.
Francisco Menéndez, a lawyer from Welaw Consulting specializing in audiovisual law, is in charge of the module Financial Development and Investment, which will discuss public-private investment and funding, as well as other alternative ways to finance animated IPs. Topics such as business plan and pitch deck development, co-production strategies, hybrid monetization models, and blockchain will also be addressed.
In the module IP Development and Links with Other Sectors, Zofia Ścisłowska, head of children’s and animation projects at the Polish production company Laniakea Pictures, will focus on strategies for expanding into other sectors of the industry—such as video games—developing storyworlds, and building audiences and fanbases.
The focus area AI, Emerging Technologies, and Trends will explore the use of artificial intelligence in pre-production, production, and post-production, its application in task automation, data analysis, and insight generation, and audience identification, among other topics. Alby Ojeda (Wells Agency), Alfonso Fulgencio (Next Lab), and José Luis Farias (Quirino Awards) are the professionals leading this module.
In addition to these focus areas, the Quirino Lab program includes a case study of the game Blasphemous (The Game Kitchen), one of Spain’s most renowned titles with the greatest international reach. Lastly, there is a special activity by the Futures Lab, an initiative developed by Quirino in collaboration with the Ortega-Marañón Foundation that seeks to collectively build a new pact for the future of Ibero-American animation. The session will be facilitated by Federico Buyolo, Cultural Director of the Ortega-Marañón Foundation.
Quirino Lab’s participants are experienced professionals who have produced at least one series, one animated feature film, or three animated short films and who are committed to innovation and the development of the industry in their countries. The first cohort of Quirino Lab includes producers from 3Doubles Producciones, Crazy Meerkat, La Mola, Sultana Films, Tinglado Film, Red Animation, and Tomavision Studio (Spain); Mono Animation, Oz Produtora, Studio Z Design e Animação, and Subversiva Estudio (Brazil); IntiFX and Matte CG (Ecuador); Mr. Machin and ¡Viva Calavera! (Mexico); and Doinmedia (Colombia).
The majority of Quirino Lab’s activities will take place in the library of Tenerife Espacio de las Artes – TEA, a collaborator in this first meeting.
Tenerife Strengthens its Commitment to Animation
With the launch of Quirino Lab, Tenerife reaffirms its commitment to the development of the animation industry on the island. In 2024, animation generated €19 million in Tenerife, 32% of the total audiovisual sector in Tenerife. The island has also been the venue for the Ibero-American Animation Quirino Awards since their first edition in 2018.
During the Quirino Lab, participants will have the opportunity to learn about the work of Tenerife-based companies at a networking breakfast, where the tax incentives offered by the island will be presented. This activity is carried out in collaboration with the Tenerife Film Commission.
