Quirino Lab brings together Ibero-American producers and global figures to discuss the future of the sector
- A total of 15 Ibero-American professionals are participating in this second meeting under the theme “Leading the Future of Animation”.
- It will feature the first hackathon on artificial intelligence applied to executive production.
- Quirino Lab is an initiative of the Quirino Awards developed in partnership with the Tenerife Island Council, through Turismo de Tenerife and the Tenerife Film Commission.
Puerto de la Cruz (Tenerife), October 9, 2026. The second Quirino Lab brings together a total of 15 executive production professionals from Spain, Brazil, Peru, Argentina, Colombia, and the Dominican Republic for an advanced training program taking place October 7–10 at Lago Martiánez in Puerto de la Cruz (Tenerife).
Over the course of four days, the Lab combines keynote sessions, hands-on workshops, and panel discussions under the theme “Leading the Future of Animation,” with the goal of supporting professional growth, strengthening the industry, and driving the development of the region’s animation sector.
Quirino Lab is an initiative of the Quirino Awards, developed in partnership with the Tenerife Island Council through Turismo de Tenerife and the Tenerife Film Commission. This year’s Lab is organized in collaboration with the City Government and Audiovisual Cultura Puerto de la Cruz, and is supported by Acción Cultural Española (AC/E), through its Program for the Internationalization of Spanish Culture (PICE), as well as by Magnific.
The presentation was led by Lope Afonso, Vice President of the Tenerife Island Council; Dimple Melwani, CEO of Turismo de Tenerife; and representatives of the Puerto de la Cruz City Government.
“Quirino Lab was founded on the conviction that executive production plays a central role.”
“The sector is evolving at a rapid pace. Quirino Lab gives us the space to take the time to understand these changes, analyze them, and decide how we want to shape what comes next.”
Silvina CornillónDirector of the Quirino Awards
Training from International Experts
The program brings together international experts—Garry Yankson, Nic Cabana, Diego Rosner, Lucas Arechaga, Uttariyo Saha, Paloma Aragón, and Alby Ojeda—who will discuss financing and investment, emerging intellectual property (IP) models, audiences and digital fragmentation, and artificial intelligence applied to production.
Among them are Nic Cabana, co-founder of the transmedia brand Claynosaurz and a veteran of productions such as Game of Thrones and Jurassic World; Diego Rosner, director at Nexus Studios US; and Uttariyo Saha, creative AI consultant at Magnific.
New to this year’s Lab, each session will be built around an open-ended question—such as “Why are we so reluctant to invest in more expansive IP?” or “Why does it take us so long to integrate emerging technologies into our companies?”—rather than a pre-determined presentation, allowing experts and participants to explore possible answers together throughout the day.
Nic CabanaCo-founder of Claynosaurz, Annie Award nominee (Game of Thrones, Jurassic World).
Diego RosnerHead of Nexus Studios US, multi-award-winning producer specializing in technology and cross-media.
Uttariyo SahaAI Creative Consultant at Magnific, specializing in generative AI applied to animation and VFX.
Garry YanksonFounder of WLFG Consulting, consultant on financing and sustainable business models.
Lucas ArechagaOver 20 years of experience in content and data strategy at WarnerMedia and Hasbro.
Paloma AragónSpecialist in personal productivity and project management, previously at PlayStation.
Alby OjedaProduct designer and director of the Skip Intro Lab, specializing in interactive storytelling and the ethical integration of AI.
What the experts say
The experts themselves have already begun to frame some of the key issues that will shape the discussions at the Lab.
“Audiences are cultivated, not acquired.” “Fandom is the infrastructure” of the new IP economy.
Nic CabanaInnovation “is not only changing how we do creative work, but is also expanding the boundaries of what creative work can become.”
Diego Rosner“The model is the least interesting part. The budget lies in the cost of an iteration, not in producing a single frame.”
Uttariyo Saha“By 2026, the question will no longer be whether AI will become part of the audiovisual industry, but how it will do so.”
Alby Ojeda“How can we grow and innovate without losing our artistic identity, creative control, or long-term value?”
Garry YanksonThe 2026 cohort
The participants are professionals with experience in the production of animated series, feature films, or short films. This second cohort of Quirino Lab includes producers from:
06Spain
- Red Animation
- Crazy Meerkat
- Surfing Giant
- Tomavision Studio
- Oceanika Estudios
- Studio Kimchi
04Brazil
- Espacial Filmes
- Rapadura Atômica
- Split Studio
- Pinguim Content
03Argentina, Spain and Italy
- 80 Mundos
- Damita Joe
- Ginevra Films
01Peru
- Tunche Films
01Colombia and the United States
- iKartoons Animation
Artificial Intelligence Hackathon
The second Quirino Lab also features the first hackathon dedicated to the design of artificial intelligence assistants and agents for executive production, led by Alby Ojeda, director of the Skip Intro Lab. This intensive, hands-on training program will challenge teams to develop AI-powered production tools through model selection, implementation, and development.
The event also includes two open panel discussions: one exploring the future of the animation industry over the next decade, and the other examining whether artificial intelligence represents an opportunity or a threat to the sector.
Quirino Awards’ Short Films Coming to High Schools
Puerto de la Cruz became a gathering place for young students and the general public, offering a glimpse into the world of animation that the Quirino Awards bring each year. Two screenings of Ibero-American short films: a morning session for high school students on Tuesday, October 6, and a session open to the public on Thursday, October 8, featuring films such as Luminaris by Juan Pablo Zaramella (Argentina) and El Fantasma de la Quinta by James A. Castillo (Spain).
The Animation Industry in Tenerife
With this second Quirino Lab, Tenerife reaffirms its commitment to strengthening the island’s animation industry. In 2024, the sector generated 19 million euros in Tenerife, accounting for 32% of the local audiovisual industry’s total revenue. The island has also hosted the Quirino Awards for Ibero-American Animation since their inception in 2018.
About Quirino Lab
Quirino Lab is an exclusive space designed to foster professional growth, exchange experiences, and build lasting connections. It is an educational initiative made possible through the main sponsorship of the Tenerife Island Council, through Turismo de Tenerife and the Tenerife Film Commission. This year’s Lab is organized in collaboration with the Audiovisual Culture Department of the Puerto de la Cruz City Government, with support from Acción Cultural Española (AC/E) through its Program for the Internationalization of Spanish Culture (PICE), as well as from Magnific.
About the Quirino Awards
Quirino is the ecosystem for Ibero-American animation, based in Tenerife, Spain, since 2018. In addition to its annual awards ceremony, it features an industry section comprising the Co-Production and Business Forum, the Futures Lab, and Quirino Lab.
