We delve into the objectives and lines of action of the Spanish Institute for Foreign Trade.
ICEX is a key pillar in the strategy of the Spain Audiovisual Hub, an initiative by the Spanish government aimed at establishing Spain as a leading center for audiovisual production and distribution. It seeks to attract more foreign investment and facilitate digitalization and innovation in the sector, generating employment and increasing the global competitiveness of Spanish companies.
Thanks to the work of ICEX and its integration with the Spain Audiovisual Hub, Spain is solidifying itself as an attractive destination for the audiovisual sector, driving economic growth and expanding the international reach of its talent and creativity.
Today, we speak with Elisa Carbonell, the CEO of ICEX España Exportación e Inversiones. Carbonell holds a Law degree from the Complutense University of Madrid and has been a member of the Spanish High Corps of Commercial Technicians and State Economists since 2007. She has extensive experience in internationalization, having held several notable positions, including Chief Economic and Trade Counselor at the Spanish Embassy in Colombia (2015-2020), Advisor for International Affairs in the Cabinet of the First Vice President and Minister of Economic Affairs and Digital Transformation (2020-2021), Advisor for European Union Affairs in the Cabinet of the Minister of Economy and Competitiveness (2012-2015), and Deputy Director of Legislation and Financial Policy at the General Secretariat of the Treasury.
She is particularly committed to continuous education and has taken courses and workshops in various fields, such as new trends in public management (Oxford University), technology and entrepreneurship (MIT), and team leadership (ESADE). At ICEX España Exportación e Inversiones, she served as the General Director of Business Internationalization from September 2021 until her appointment as CEO in January 2024.
1. What is ICEX’s main objective in promoting the Spanish audiovisual sector internationally?
At ICEX, we promote the prosperity of the Spanish economy through internationalization—both supporting Spanish companies in their expansion abroad and attracting foreign companies to invest in Spain.
In recent years, the audiovisual sector has undergone a global revolution. Digital transformation, the emergence of new business models, and new technologies have drastically changed the way audiovisual content is produced, blurring the borders of national audiovisual markets.
In such a dynamic context, our goal is to address the major challenges in the sector: financing, market saturation, and global competition. To achieve this, ICEX’s internationalization strategy, through Audiovisual from Spain, is structured around three main pillars, with activities focused on increasing the visibility of our industrial ecosystems, companies, and talent; strengthening networking; and addressing financing with a clear focus on international co-production.
Additionally, we work to highlight Spain’s attractiveness to foreign companies looking to invest or shoot in the country. Factors such as diverse locations, skilled and professional teams, strong infrastructure and connectivity, legal and physical security, sustainability, and cost-effectiveness make Spain an appealing destination.
Through ICEX Invest in Spain and our brand Shooting in Spain, we also strive to attract international commercial productions and provide support and advisory services to producers in key areas, including visa information, diverse filming locations, service companies, and everything needed to establish operations here.
2. Audiovisual from Spain represents the industry at international markets and festivals. What kind of support does it provide to companies in the sector?
I would summarize it as intelligence, connections, and talent. The activities we carry out under Audiovisual from Spain focus on showcasing Spanish audiovisual talent and competitiveness internationally while creating more business opportunities for industry players.
We aim to establish a framework where companies can present their work and find partners to produce and distribute their projects abroad. This is crucial in such a competitive and ever-evolving market. To innovate in production processes and enter new markets, companies must constantly build partnerships and collaborate.
Over the past three years, public support for the sector has increased through the Spain, Europe’s Audiovisual Hub plan. This initiative promotes Spain’s audiovisual ecosystem by enhancing its international reputation, strengthening and training talent, attracting foreign investment, and minimizing administrative costs.
We are fully committed to the audiovisual industry, which we consider strategic due to its global nature, its capacity to create jobs and attract investment, and its potential for modernization through digitalization. We believe Spain has the talent necessary for success.
3. Audiovisual from Spain is present at major international markets and festivals. What are the main actions taken in this regard, and what are the future plans?
The creation of the Spain Audiovisual Hub has positioned Spain as one of the world’s leading audiovisual production centers, allowing the Spanish sector to gain global reach and universal appeal.
ICEX maintains a strong presence in international markets and collaborates with other public institutions to promote the sector’s internationalization and attract foreign direct investment by creating an attractive investment environment.
As a result of these efforts, co-production agreements between Spanish and foreign companies have increased, enhancing Spain’s competitiveness and reputation as a favorable investment destination. This, in turn, has strengthened Spain’s image and transformed the country into a major audiovisual hub.
These achievements have been possible thanks to the Recovery, Transformation, and Resilience Plan, which has enabled ICEX to double the number of annual promotional activities, quintuple the number of Spanish companies participating, and significantly boost foreign investment projects.
Looking ahead, our strategy will continue to support the Spain Audiovisual Hub plan by maintaining promotional activities and attracting international productions and investments to strengthen the competitiveness and global presence of the Spanish audiovisual industry.
4. What is ICEX’s approach to the advertising sector?
We will continue carrying out high-impact activities through Shooting in Spain, recognizing that Spain is an important destination for international commercial productions.
This reputation is not accidental—it is the result of years of dedication to promoting our capabilities and resources. We proudly recall international campaigns from globally renowned brands such as Nike, Dior, Armani, Porsche, and Aston Martin. These brands did not choose Spain merely for its climate or diverse locations but also for the talent and professionalism we offer.
We will keep working to maintain and strengthen our leadership position in the audiovisual industry as a whole.
5. Spain is expanding its presence in strategic markets like Latin America and the U.S. What are the current priority markets, and what strategies are being implemented?
We will maintain our presence and activities in key markets for the industry. In Europe, we participate in major industry events like Berlinale, Locarno, MIPCOM, and Gamescom while expanding into emerging markets with growing collaboration opportunities.
In 2025, Mexico will be a key focus. As one of the world’s largest audiovisual markets, Mexico has a strong presence of national and international companies in production, distribution, and exhibition. Our efforts will center on fostering collaboration and audiovisual business exchanges between the two countries.
In Asia, we will follow a “gradual growth” strategy, with China receiving special attention due to a new co-production agreement. The U.S., as a leading market, will continue to be a priority through participation in events such as GDC, Content Americas, and Kidscreen, as well as activities in surrounding regions like Canada (TIFF, HOT DOCS) and Mexico.
Furthermore, at international events, we actively facilitate meetings with delegations from countries such as Colombia, Uruguay, Brazil, the UK, Canada, and South Korea to build an extensive network of alliances.
6. Recently, ICEX has positioned itself as one of the top advertisers of the year following the success of the campaign La causa del accidente que provocó el incendio in collaboration with CANADA. How does ICEX assess the success of this campaign, and what are the key success metrics?
The Spain, Where Talent Ignites campaign celebrates the creativity and talent of the Spanish audiovisual sector, with the ultimate goal of associating the image of Spanish audiovisual production with talent, creativity, expertise, professionalism, and excellence. The short film La causa del accidente que provocó el incendio, produced by the production company CANADA, is at the heart of this campaign. This audiovisual piece features emerging and mid-career talents, while the production team includes outstanding artistic collaborations.
We aimed to communicate an image of excellence in the Spanish audiovisual industry by using audiovisual language itself—showcasing the ability to tell interesting and original stories in an innovative and highly polished way. Our goal was not just to talk about the creativity and professionalism of Spanish talent but to demonstrate it. And clearly, CANADA hit the mark with a bold piece. Naturally, we are thrilled with the awards the short film has received and the public recognition, which, in our view, acknowledges the overall quality of Spanish audiovisual production.
7. ICEX is committed to fostering a healthy industry and setting the path forward by promoting transparent and fair processes, as the APCP has been advocating for years. What has been the experience of working with CANADA on this campaign, and what are ICEX’s priorities as a client?
The experience of working with CANADA and the entire team has been excellent. CANADA won a highly competitive public tender with a project that not only met the requirements for positioning and enhancing the visibility of Spanish audiovisual talent and creativity but did so by demonstrating the ability to tell compelling and original stories in an innovative and meticulously crafted way.
They fully understood the project and its objectives and were able to create a campaign centered around a main element: a high-quality fashion film with strong impact and a non-advertising aesthetic.
8. Looking ahead, what new projects or initiatives is ICEX developing to further position Spain as an international leader in the audiovisual industry? Within this strategy, does it include advertising audiovisual production and attracting international commercial shoots?
We are at a time of great challenges, but more than ever, also of great opportunities. We are committed to continuing the work initiated over 20 years ago and reinforced over the past three years through the Spain Audiovisual Hub of Europe Plan.
As mentioned earlier, the plan has ushered in a new era for the sector, and one of the most visible effects has been the significant investment in international promotion, resulting in a notable improvement in the global perception of the industry.
At ICEX, we have strengthened our support for the internationalization of the sector and will continue to do so. This year, for instance, we will be present at major international markets to promote the industry and engage directly with potential investors worldwide, showcasing the advantages and services that have made Spain a highly competitive destination for filming and investment.
Within the new budgetary framework, the Audiovisual from Spain strategy aims to maintain the level of activity and visibility already achieved. We will continue to focus on key markets and reinforce the most valued initiatives for businesses. In 2025, we will introduce a cross-cutting approach with intellectual property (IP) as the central axis of the strategy, exploring potential business models that allow companies to maximize their IP and adapt to technological changes and evolving consumer trends.
The demand for content has grown significantly in recent years, but so have production levels and the budgets required to bring projects to fruition. Platforms are becoming more selective in choosing content, and audiences are increasingly demanding.
In this context, Spanish creativity and talent are making a difference by adapting content to market trends without compromising quality or relevance. Spanish companies have successfully produced numerous national and international hits across a wide variety of formats and genres. This, in itself, is a testament to our capability and potential.
