Canary Islands: An Emerging Global Animation Hub Built From Almost Scratch

Photo: Courtesy of Netflix. Retrieved from variety.com/

In the heart of the Atlantic Ocean, the Canary Islands is rapidly becoming a global animation force.

“Tara Duncan,” has charmed audiences via the Disney Channel, “Arcane,” which also uses a Canary Islands service studio, is one of the biggest shows on the planet, and the merchandise of “Miraculous Ladybug,” is seen everywhere.

All three hits share a common thread: the unmissable imprint of talent from this dynamic archipelago.

What began with a small community of digital artists and small studios has now burgeoned into an entire ecosystem of homegrown and international talent making some of the biggest and most innovative projects in the world, either as service studios or true-blue producers.

The Canary Islands Special Zone (ZEC) has done its part in fostering this creative surge. With its enticing 4% corporate tax rate — one of the lowest in Europe — it’s like an economic pied piper, leading international animation studios and producers down the path to the Canaries. This package of economic benefits has been not only preserved, but also enhanced over the years — a testament to a continued governmental resolve to fan the flames of this sector.

And fan they have. “We have seen an enormous increase in interest,” Pablo Hernandez, president of ZEC, told Variety. “In 2016 there were two studios in the Canary Islands with 29 employees, today we have 12 [animation] Studios and over 800 employees involved directly with the industry.”

Promoting animation with one voice alongside ZEC are the Government of the Canary Islands through the cultural (ICDC) and economic departments (PROEXCA), as well as island councils. Together they form a platform known as Canary Islands Animation.