French animation and visual effects company STIM – the studio behind “The Girl in the Clouds,” which also contributed to “The Wild Robot,” “Garfield,” and “Coyote vs. Acme,” – is opening a production center in Spain’s Canary Islands, with plans to create more than 100 jobs as it expands its European operations.
STIM Tenerife is set to begin operating in August and expects to employ 60 people by the end of 2026. Recruitment is already underway for character modelers, set and prop modelers, look-development artists and supervisors, among other high-skilled positions.
The company has chosen to establish the operation within the Canary Islands Special Zone, or ZEC, a low-tax regime for qualifying companies operating in the Spanish archipelago.
“The opening of STIM Tenerife in the Canary Islands marks a strategic stage in STIM’s evolution,” said STIM Tenerife CEO Amélie Houpline. “We have found an environment here that brings together talent, strong development potential and a dynamic creative community.”
The new base, she added, will allow STIM to increase its production capacity “without compromising the artistic and technical excellence that defines our identity.”
Founded by Félix Ferrand, Jordan Soler and Benoit Gielly, STIM specializes in 3D animation, VFX and digital production for film, TV and advertising. With operations in France and Belgium, it has evolved from a character-focused studio into a company capable of handling projects from design and pre-production through to final delivery.
STIM collaborated with DreamWorks Animation on the facial and body rigging of several characters for “The Wild Robot.” Its other credits include the Sony release “The Garfield Movie,” Warner Bros.’ “Coyote vs. Acme,” FX’s Emmy-winning “Shōgun” and the Annecy-selected Franco-Belgian toon feature “Girl in the Clouds.”
‘Coyote vs. Acme’
“Coyote vs. Acme”
The Tenerife operation will expand the company’s production capacity while supporting financing structures spanning France, Belgium and the Canary Islands. STIM said that footprint could give producers additional options for assembling European animation and VFX financing.
“Our ambition is not limited to producing international projects from the islands,” Houpline said. “We want to build a studio with a long-term future, generate highly qualified employment and contribute to the development of the Canary Islands ecosystem.”
STIM’s arrival comes as the archipelago continues to build its animation, VFX and digital-arts sector. According to figures provided by the ZEC, the Canary Islands now host more than 30 specialist companies and close to 2,000 professionals, up from a comparatively small industry less than a decade ago.
ZEC President Pablo Hernández
ZEC President Pablo Hernández
Companies operating in the islands include Fortiche, the studio behind “Arcane,” as well as Atlantis Animation, 3 Doubles Producciones, Tomavision, Gigglebug, Amuse Studios and Ánima Kitchent.
Recent expansion has also included Surfing Giant Studios’ Tenerife operation and DNEG’s investment in Ánima Kitchent, backed by the Spanish government’s SETT, as part of a broader effort to scale the sector.
“A few years ago, there was practically no animation industry in the Canary Islands,” said ZEC President Pablo Hernández. “Today, we have dozens of studios, close to 2,000 professionals and projects for some of the world’s largest entertainment companies.”
STIM’s arrival, he added, shows that the archipelago “has ceased to be a promise and has become an established reality within the international animation industry.”
Hernández said the significance of the latest investments goes beyond attracting individual companies or productions.
“We are seeing the creation of a genuine industrial ecosystem, with local talent, specialist training and companies capable of leading global productions,” he said. “We have moved from attracting specific projects to attracting permanent centers for decision-making, production and creative development.”
The next phase, according to Hernández, will involve strengthening local intellectual property, developing original content and attracting larger-scale international investment.
Industry projections suggest the Canary Islands could reach between 3,000 and 4,000 specialized animation and digital-arts jobs over the coming years.
