We talked to Canary Islands Games and asked why the Canary Islands are the perfect place for gaming companies.
Every year, at the end of August, gamers around the world have one thing on their minds: Gamescom is here. In 2023, nearly half a million fans, cosplayers, streamers, developers, designers, publishers, journalists, and anyone else who is already in the gaming bubble or wants to dive further into it, have gathered in Cologne.
It’s a fascinating event that each visitor attends for a different reason. Many private visitors want to try out new games, snag some merch, or finally meet their favorite creators in person. Some reunite with new and old friends, while others stroll alone through the huge halls, amazed by the impressive sets and stages. In the business sector, partnerships are forged, the latest intel is exchanged, and global relationships are established. However, all these Gamescom visitors share one thing: they have a passion for games, forming a huge global community that gathers at this event every year.
Canary Islands Games: Make The Canary Islands A Gaming Paradise
Amidst this community, there is one organization, which, though it has only been involved in gaming for a few years, has already made significant strides in this field compared to many others: Canary Islands Games, a joint team consisting of the Canary Islands Special Zone (ZEC), the culture (Instituto Canario de Desarrollo Cultural) and economic departments (PROEXCA) of the Government of the Canary Islands and the local councils (Cabildos). Under the motto "Welcome to the next level!", this team does one thing above all else: it makes the Canary Islands one of the most interesting regions in the world.
While the Canary Islands have been popular worldwide as a vacation and emigration paradise for several decades, in the 2000s they repeatedly faced the problem of young, well-educated people leaving the islands and seeking jobs on the European mainland. As a result, the society on the Canary Islands did not exactly get younger, and the economic situation did not necessarily improve.
To transform this area into a paradise for young people and interesting companies, a lot of work and creative solutions were needed. Initially, tax benefits and financial incentives were introduced for companies in the film and animation industry. Soon, young companies were attracted to the Canary Islands, and they grew rapidly, because they were highly competitive compared to others, thanks to the financial advantages of the islands. Larger projects quickly followed suit: today, companies like Disney, Fortiche, or Warner trust in the work of the studios there. Suddenly, young people on the Canary Islands had excellent prospects in their beloved homeland, and experienced experts from around the world came to train the next generation—a boom for the society was on the horizon.
To further improve this success model, the next logical step was, to further invest into one of the largest and fastest-growing industries in the world: gaming.
And where better to connect with gaming companies and convince the entire industry to establish studios and company locations on the Canary Islands than at Gamescom? Here, we met many people from the Canary Islands Games and talked to Pablo Hernandez, President of the Canary Islands Special Zone (ZEC) about why gaming companies should definitely come to the Canary Islands today.
"We have a large team at the trade show this year. It's not just employees conducting meetings all day, but also representatives from our most successful studios on the islands! And Gamescom is truly the best place for such meetings—we've already met so many new people and companies, all of whom have a great interest in coming to us!" says Pablo.
This is no surprise: almost 50% in subsidies on money invested in the Canary Islands and extremely low taxation make the Canary Islands the optimal location for gaming studios, as far as economics are concerned. This gives them clear advantages over all competitors, but that's not all: the infrastructure on the Canary Islands meets European gold standards. However, rents and the cost of living are significantly lower than in global metropolises. Financially, it is also a good decision for the employees of companies relocating to the islands. For many industry professionals, the biggest plus, however, is the quality of life on the Canary Islands: year-round subtropical climate, the sea, the beach, young and interesting people everywhere, and a laid-back lifestyle create the best atmosphere you could wish for. Believe us—we were there in February. It's simply fantastic.
Since 2016, over 1,000 new experts have come to the islands and produced world-class projects like "ARCANE" for Netflix, "Space Jam" for Warner, and much more. Young talents on the islands benefit from this: "We now offer many programs where our young people can learn from global experts. Additionally, we work with the universities on the Canary Islands, which provide excellent education. As a result, we have succeeded in keeping the next generation on Tenerife, Gran Canaria, Fuerteventura or La Palma, and the like, because here they are not only at home but also have the best career opportunities worldwide," says Pablo.
"The multitude of companies that have come to the islands in recent years and are still coming, naturally need new employees—especially since they are growing very rapidly thanks to our tax benefits. Of course, there is also the challenge of finding and hiring skilled workers here, but on the Canary Islands, our studios have the best chances of hiring and, most importantly, retaining young talent. Because where else would they have this life? (winks)"
Javier Hidalgo, who works directly for the PROEXCA in the Canary Islands government and closely cooperates with all the gaming teams on the Canaries, offers a second perspective. He grew up on the Canary Islands, but worked as a designer and developer in the world's largest gaming hubs. However, his heart is in his homeland, which is why he has made it his mission to elevate the local economic and social standards to the next level: "I have combined my two passions—for the artistic industry and for my homeland, the Canary Islands—and, together with all the gaming institutions here, I am trying to develop a paradise for these industries here with us. And gaming plays an absolutely key role for us. That's why I'm very happy to see so many new faces at Gamescom who all want to come to us. I am very optimistic about the future of the gaming industry in the Canary Islands!"
When you talk to anyone involved in this massive project, you can tell that something very special is happening. All the organizations, the government and the studios – and most importantly all the people are working together in creating something brand new. And we at EarlyGame can't wait to be there again next year!
To the experts out there: Take a look around, your dream job and dream lifestyle might soon become a reality on the Canary Islands! To studios—there's no better place in the world for you.
Because, as the founder of Atari said in an event held on the islands: "If I were to start my company today, I wouldn't do it in California—I would do it on the Canary Islands."