Jamaica is targeting the animation industry as a potential growth area, Julian Robinson, state minister in the Ministry of Science, Technology, Energy and Mining, has said.
“We believe that this industry has much potential. Technology has eliminated barriers to entry in a number of sectors, and we can see that right here in Jamaica,” Robinson said during a Gleaner Editors’ Forum yesterday.
As part of the move to drive the animation industry, the Ministry of Science, Technology, Energy and Mining, in conjunction with the World Bank and the Canadian government, is hosting a two-day conference and animation festival, titled KingstOOn.
The aim is to galvanize interest in the billion-dollar industry by giving Jamaicans a chance to interact with industry leaders and create their own content.
The festival, is being staged at the University of the West Indies Mona campus and comes to an end today.
Robinson said advancement in technology locally has put Jamaica in a position to take advantage of opportunities such as those provided by the animation industry.
“We can build applications and solutions to develop animation. You can have those products and services sold to anybody in the world and that’s what the advances of technology have done. We, as a country with a lot of world-class talent, should take advantage of this,” Robinson said.
The minister further said there is an abundance of creativity in Jamaica and the administration needs to ensure it can be used to build the country.
He also noted that there is a push in demand globally for the multibillion-dollar industry and Jamaica needs to capitalize on this.
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