Around 80 participants attended two days of meetings between representatives from the Canary Islands Government, Proexca, the Canary Islands Audiovisual Cluster, and the Canadian audiovisual sector.
One key takeaway was the plan for a future reverse trade mission, where Canadian companies can visit the archipelago to experience this rapidly growing industry firsthand.
The Deputy Minister of Economy and Internationalization of the Canary Islands Government and Vice President of Proexca, Gustavo González de Vega, and Proexca’s CEO, Pablo Martín Carbajal, presented the opportunities that the Canary Islands offer the audiovisual sector during two productive days in Montreal and Toronto, in collaboration with the Canary Islands Audiovisual Cluster.
In Montreal, approximately 30 professionals attended the meetings, and around 50 professionals participated in Toronto. The Spanish Ambassador to Canada, Alfredo Martínez Serrano, welcomed the Canary Islands delegation and played an active role, reinforcing the autonomous community’s position within Spain as a top destination for this sector.
“We have seen great potential and opportunities for cooperation between the Canadian audiovisual sector and the Canary Islands ecosystem, not only for productions in the Canary Islands by Canadian companies but also for co-productions,” González de Vega remarked. “The discussions revealed many inquiries from companies already familiar with the Canary Islands, considering our destination. We must seize this opportunity,” he concluded.
Martín Carbajal announced the next step: a reverse trade mission, where interested Canadian companies visit the Canary Islands to explore the industry ecosystem in person. “We have engaged with around 50 Canadian companies showing significant interest in the Canary Islands. We will now maintain contact to assist them as needed. Our goal is to organize a trade mission for Canadian companies to the Canary Islands, as we have confirmed their interest. This will be our focus moving forward,” he affirmed.
This mission reinforces the Canary Islands Government’s strategy to diversify the archipelago’s economy, prioritizing emerging sectors that generate sustainable job growth in the islands.