FTA with Canada increased business opportunities for Colombian developers of video games and animation

The exploratory trip to Canada, embarked by 16  Colombian entrepreneurs from the animation and video game sector, helped them to realize that after the Free Trade Agreement (FTA) signed between the two countries, there are significant business opportunities to take advantage of. 

"We must learn to not be afraid to face projects. From your Company in Colombia, sometimes you believe you do not have the infrastructure, the people or the financial muscle, but it isn't that hard. We can do successful business with Canada," said Carlos Smith Rovira from Hierro Animación.

The four day visit, was arranged by PROCOLOMBIA as part of its strategy to leverage the FTA, which came in force on August 15th, and the entity's support to the digital content industry, which has included visits to other potential markets like Germany, Brazil, as well as published studies with information on sector trends, figures and business opportunities.

The Colombians, who also participated at the International Business Matchmaking Forum conducted by PROCOLOMBIA in Toronto, visited Ubisoft, one of the most important video game studios in the world, creators of the popular game Assassins Creed.  Also, Eidos Interactive, from the saga of Tomb Raider, and Media DHX, attended the opening of the Warner Brothers Studio in Montreal.

"I enjoyed the DHX visit very much. On one hand, we were able to have a look at the production processes; it was a very educational experience for all of the attending Colombian companies, and on the other hand, specific opportunities for cooperation were identified which would have been far more complicated if done remotely," said Enrique Fuentes from Teravision Games.

For Leonardo Rojas of Axesnet, while the visit and support from PROCOLOMBIA are valuable contributions, doing business depends on each entrepreneur. "Our competitive advantage is price. There may be something where we have some room to improve, which is our processes need to be more in tune with theirs."

They also visited the Montreal International Game Summit, which gathered the entire Canadian video game industry, an interactive content activity at the Toronto International Film Festival and Ocad University, one of the leading academic centers in digital content and design in Canada.

The visit was also attended by Jason Della Rocca, the specialized video game consultant, who rated the Colombian video game and animation industry as young, but with a lot of potential. "I have seen a lot of talent and interest in Colombians to learn and grow. So, we have a long way to go. It is great that Colombians were able to visit Canada, a country with a highly developed industry to learn and be inspired and to share ideas and knowledge, as well as to network and make connections," he said.