IDA Hub is targeting international film productions

IDA Hub, the film and multimedia innovation centre in Ida-Virumaa, is to start working with content so that it can be ready to serve international film productions in Estonia and so support the development of audiovisual work in the country. The hub has been developed by the Ida-Viru Investment Agency Foundation (IVIA), the Ida-Viru Ettevõtluskeskus (IVEK) enterprise centre, and the Tehnopol Science and Business Park.

The IDA Hub film and multimedia innovation centre is being set up to develop the film talents and smart leaders of the future. Siting the hub in Ida-Virumaa supports one of the key goals of the European Union’s Just Transition Fund of diversifying the economic model of the region and supporting the development of small businesses there. The strength of the IDA Hub is its complex solutions and its capacity to marry together technological development with the needs of the film industry.

The Ida-Viru Investment Agency Foundation (IVIA) will have responsibility for actually building the hub and designing its interior, and for running it and managing it later on. It is planned that the cornerstone of the hub will be laid in the second half of this year. The Ida-Viru Ettevõtluskeskus (IVEK) working with Tehnopol will create the content of the film innovation hub, which will involve launching an incubation programme with an innovative concept, creating a community, and supporting the local economy by offering a platform for affiliated companies.

IVEK will launch an incubator programme in April aimed at companies in the creative industries, and it will be open for companies and individuals that are already working or just starting out, and that want to work in the audiovisual industry. Coordinator of the incubation programme Britta Merirand said of its planned content that: “participants in the incubator will get support as part of the programme in the form of personal mentoring and practical training to help them develop their businesses. The new programme will cover the basics of film production, marketing, business planning and the green economy”.

The programme will be run online during its pilot year, allowing companies across Estonia to participate. Participants will be assigned a mentor, who will be an expert on film production and multimedia, to be on call as needed, and business consultants who will give them support in running their business. The new incubation programme will support the changes that are needed to make the economic model of the region more diverse. Application to the incubation programme is open from 14 March to 12 April 2024.

The Tehnopol Startup Incubator is opening an accelerator programme focused on film and multimedia at the IDA hub, where startup companies with ideas for how to use technology to shake up film production can take a leap forward. Programme Manager Olga Kurdovskaja emphasised that film production is in a constant state of change and flux and that technology plays an important role in making films, especially in creating hi-tech special effects and virtual scenes. “The film innovation hub that is being set up will not only support the creation of the infrastructure needed, but it will also provide innovative opportunities for startup companies and creative companies. Through the incubation programme and by working together they will create an environment where new ideas for developing film production can be realised. Our goal is to create a strong and dynamic ecosystem that supports the development of film in Estonia and helps promote new ideas, new technologies and talent. If you have a technology startup, a dedicated team and an idea that has reached the MVP or prototype stage, then you definitely want to apply to the film and multimedia accelerator. Applications can be submitted until 30 April 2024”, she said.

The aim of the first test cohort is to test out how the services work, get feedback, and develop a strong and holistic incubation programme to support the whole sector by spring 2025. The IDA Hub film and multimedia innovation centre is being funded by the European Union.

The Tehnopol Startup Incubator creates an environment where new startups can grow fast. If you have an idea for how to use technology to advance film production, you are very welcome to join the Tehnopol Startup Incubator film and multimedia accelerator. The film and multimedia accelerator will concentrate above all on multimedia, virtual and augmented reality, and related areas, and on developing startups that focus on them. For more information on the accelerator see: www.startupincubator.ee

The Ida-Viru Ettevõtluskeskus (IVEK) foundation is the regional development centre for Ida-Virumaa, and it advises businesses, the public sector and organisations in the third sector. It also coordinates the tourism cluster, education cluster and creative cluster of the region. www.ivek.ee

For more information on the new incubator programme see: ivek.ee/inku/

The Ida-Viru Investment Agency Foundation (IVIA) is a public sector development organisation set up by the Estonian government through the Ministry of Regional Affairs and Agriculture, and by the local governments of Lüganuse, Kohtla-Järve, Jõhvi and Narva. The main function of the IVIA is to help create new jobs in Ida-Virumaa. www.ivia.ee