Europe’s animation, games, and VFX industries are full of talent, but creativity alone isn’t enough.
To create sustainable careers and competitive studios, we need better work environments, stronger collaboration, and new ways to prepare students and young professionals for the realities of the industry. This is the goal of Paneurama’s 2025 Guidelines & Recommendations: Towards Maturity. This latest publication authored by Morten Thorning of Creative Viborg developed from the 2024 Work Environment Dynamics and Soft Skills research, produced in partnership with Breda University of Applied Sciences.
By examining how education, workplaces, and professional cultures intersect, the research reveals where expectations and realities collide and what needs to change to bridge that gap. From this, Paneurama turns research into action through our Innovation Labs, Online SkillBASE, and annual Guidelines.
These tools work together to prepare new generations of creative professionals, support educators, and provide industry leaders with practical strategies for improvement.
These Guidelines target four groups of stakeholders:
- Education & Training: how to include soft skills, adaptability, and real-world simulations in curricula.
- The Audiovisual Industry: creating sustainable studio cultures, promoting diversity, and formalizing collaboration with education.
- Young Professionals: building adaptability, lifelong learning, and understanding of industry realities.
- Politics & Strategy: forming policies that keep talent in Europe and strengthen our global position.
The main message of the recommendations is clear: Europe’s creative industries must become more professional and more human at the same time. Only then can innovation, entrepreneurship, and cultural expression truly flourish.
This is not a conclusion; it’s a foundation. Paneurama’s research program will continue next year, focusing on Innovation and Entrepreneurship in the Animation, Games, and VFX industries (2026).
Together, these projects create a long-term roadmap for building a resilient, globally competitive, and human-centered ecosystem.
