Animation in Europe is teaming up with a number of European universities to launch ANIMA MUNDI, an academic study of Europe’s animation industry that’s budgeted at roughly US$4.2 million (€4 million). 

The aim of this ambitious project is to find solutions to the challenges faced by the European industry, including content distribution disruption, discoverability, securing international partnerships and retaining IP ownership. 

One of the key goals of the initiative is to create an online tool (the ANIMA MUNDI Dashboard) that monitors how European projects are doing overseas so that producers can develop best practices for expanding their brands. The development of shareable guidelines and recommendations for improving content discoverability is also on the agenda, as is professional training to improve international market distribution skills. 

The European Commission’s Horizon Europe funding program, which finances research and innovation, is covering the project’s budget, and ANIMA MUNDI will run for 42 months from February 2025 to July 2028. 

Representing producer associations from 22 countries, Animation in Europe announced that it would be a key partner of this initiative last week at Animar_BCN, primarily connecting schools with producers. ANIMA MUNDI was inspired by recommendations that came out of Animar_BCN 2023, according to Animation in Europe. 

One of the participating universities is Vrije Universiteit Brussel in Belgium. VUB TechTransfer, which handles the school’s partnerships with industries as well as project funding, shared details about its ANIMA MUNDI involvement in November. VUB’s budget for the project is around US$464,000 (€441,625), according to its site, and it will contribute to researching the discoverability features of major platforms that offer animation in the EU, as well as to developing best-practice guidelines for industry professionals. 

Image of Animar_BCN last week, courtesy of A. Rodero/Animation in Europe.