- Catalonia’s technological sector and its video game industry in particular are expanding, despite the pandemic. However, a lack of professionals threatens to slow their growth
- The bachelor’s degree in Multimedia. Applications and Video Games provides the sector with professional all-rounders able to specialise in a changing technological world
The technological sector in Catalonia is clearly expanding despite the pandemic crisis. The ICT industries in Catalonia posted record numbers last year, according to the 2020 edition of the "Technological sector barometer" published by the Cercle Tecnològic de Catalunya. For example, there were 16,339 companies registered in the technology sector in 2019 - an unprecedented figure - and 72% of those ended the year in profit, with positive results amounting to more than 5% in many cases. With more than 124,100 jobs registered last year, the ICT sector now provides more jobs than the automotive sector in Catalonia.
However, the main challenge that threatens growth in the sector today is the need to attract enough talent to fill to the jobs that the market is creating, which can be a serious headache for expanding companies.
Being an all-rounder to deal with a changing technological environment
The bachelor's degree in Multimedia Engineering was launched at UVic-UCC in 2012 to meet to a growing demand for labour, which even at that time was already here to stay. In the 2017-18 academic year the degree course was converted into Multimedia. Applications and Video Games, in order to provide specialised training in these two growing areas in Catalonia, and "aimed at training professional experts in the creation of digital products, with creative skills and techniques for designing interactive content, graphics and audiovisuals," according to Sergi Grau, dean of the Faculty of Science and Technology.
The students must be genuine all-rounders, able to develop in a changing context, when they finish their degree
The distinguishing feature of the adjustments to the new syllabus was all-round training involving internships in companies, which would enable students to learn through teamwork, communication, planning and above all, creativity. "The world of technology is changing very quickly and students must be genuine all-rounders, able to develop in a changing context, when they finish their degree," explains the dean. That is why the degree course provides training in three knowledge areas - graphic design, development and usability - which will enable them to subsequently specialise in any of the highly skilled profiles that the sector offers.
Did you know that...
Graduates in Multimedia. Applications and Video Games from UVic-UCC...
- have an employability rate of 100%?
- have an employability rate within 6 months of the end of their studies of 100%?
- obtain permanent contracts on a 100% basis?
- have an average salary of 2,250 Euros per month?
*According to the study on employment by AQU Catalunya for 2020, based on students who finished the bachelor's degree course in 2016.
Video games - a serious profession
Video games have ceased to be entertainment for young people over the last decade, and become a major global phenomenon. In fact, it is the sector that has grown the most by some distance in recent years within the cultural and creative industry as a whole, and it has been one of the (few) industries to have benefited from the pandemic, as estimates suggest that video game consumption increased by about 20% during the lockdown.
The Ministry of Digital Policies of the Government of Catalonia is firmly committed to making Barcelona and Catalonia a magnet for the video game industry. Taken as a whole, the Catalan companies producing video games currently account for 53% of the sector’s annual turnover in Spain, according to the 2019 White paper on the Catalan video game industry. "This ecosystem, created with support from the Government, has enabled many international companies to establish their headquarters in Barcelona and many other small independent companies have found fertile ground to develop in Catalonia," says Grau.
Much more than entertainment
But not all video games need necessarily be associated with leisure. There is a growing demand from sectors such as education, medicine and culture, which are increasingly using video games to offer more attractive and interactive products. "Serious games make processes that in themselves could be complex or boring easier, more understandable and fun," explains Grau, which means they have countless applications. From simulating a surgical operation to improving a medical technique, to developing a company's course on occupational hazards, or a virtual reality visit to a museum... video games can be used in all areas.
Training, medicine and culture are increasingly using video games to offer more attractive and interactive products
Students on the bachelor's degree course in Multimedia. Applications and Video Games have been undertaking a collaborative project with undergraduate students in Occupational Therapy for four years, working together on a project on technologies applied to health. According to Grau, "it is a teaching innovation project in which students from two disciplines work together, with those from each one contributing their knowledge to carry out a technological project, in this case on health, as if they were in the labour market."
Jonathan Gómez - the experience of creating serious video games
Jonathan Gómez is about to finish his bachelor's degree in Multimedia. Applications and Video Games. He is currently combining the preparation of his degree final project (DFP), in which he is designing an entertainment video game, with a curricular internship at the company Neurekalab, which specialises in creating technological tools to improve learning and reduce failure at school.
"Although I was convinced that I wanted to specialise in video games for entertainment when I began my studies, now I focus more on serious games, because being able to help other people improve their quality of life appeals to me," he says. At Neurekalab, he is working on designing a new interface for the company and designing games to help children with ADHD and dyscalculia. What he enjoyed most about his Multimedia studies "is that they taught me about the entire creative process, from designing an interface or a character and programming it, to advertising it. This knowledge of the whole process means that now I can relate better to all the people involved in a multimedia project when I am designing."
Sharingful - the entrepreneurship project by Guillem Vestit and Gerard Garrote
Sharingful is the recently launched project by two former students on the bachelor's degree course in Multimedia. Applications and Video Games, and is the result of their degree final project. It is a web application that brings users together to share the content and costs of digital platforms. "We realised that many people on the Internet were looking for people to share the costs of digital platforms with, and this showed us that there was a business opportunity," says Guillem Vestit, one of the project's entrepreneur, with Gerard Garrote.
When launching out their business project, they were helped by the TFG Innova Awards, which are organised by the UVic Entrepreneurship Unit, and provide training for students doing degree final projects with the aim of establishing their own company. They say that they aim to "work in this area professionally, because we can see that there is a very large potential market and we don't rule out opening it up to the rest of Europe."
Remembering their time on the bachelor's degree course in Multimedia. Applications and Video Games, they highlight the training they received in design, "which is a very interesting part that other IT-related courses don't provide."
Laura Martínez, user experience expert in Qatar
Laura Martínez Casas has a degree in Multimedia. Applications and Video Games, and is currently working for a start-up in the medical sector, Rimads, which is part of the Qatar Foundation project. She is the head of the user experience section, which deals with how people interact with digital interfaces and technology. "We're currently developing artificial intelligence, Avey, to facilitate access to a medical diagnosis. The idea is that anyone, anywhere in the world, can have access to an accurate medical diagnosis free of charge."
She highlights the versatility of the bachelor's degree, as it covers all the bases, and this gave her a broad perspective on all the areas related to the digital sector. "Once you're in the professional world, you realise how important it is to have acquired this broad-based vision, as it gives you the tools to identify the needs and limitations that may arise when you are doing a project," she says, while maintaining that her prospects for the future are linked to "working towards a more just and egalitarian society." She is also convinced that "technology is a very powerful tool, and I'm sure that if it is focused in the right direction it can help us build a more inclusive world."