The First International Congress on Research in Creative Industries was a professional and academic gathering organised by UIC Barcelona, made possible through a partnership between BIME and the University. The congress took place on 29–30 October at the Euskalduna Palace in Bilbao. Over the course of two days, four reports presenting previously unpublished data on the music industry were unveiled, alongside three roundtable discussions featuring presentations by researchers in the field. The two sessions were moderated by the Vice Dean of the Faculty and organizer of the congress, Dr. Núria Roca Trenchs.

Isabel Villanueva, director of BIME and driving force behind the CIIIC, emphasised the significance of the congress’s inaugural edition. “There is a disconnect between academic research and the industry itself, and this congress is just the beginning of an event with international reach,” the director stated. Villanueva also revealed that plans are underway to hold a future edition of the CIIIC in Colombia, as well as a second national edition in Bilbao in 2026.

“We will launch a call for proposals so that we can collectively define the themes for the 2026 communications, within the framework of the creative industries,” Villanueva confirmed during the opening of the congress’s second day. “We aim to continue collaborating with institutions to ensure the visibility of reports featuring previously unpublished data in future editions,” she added.

The CIIIC highlighted the growing interest in the creative industries in Spain, within the context of the BIME music forum in Bilbao. “The Faculty of Communication Sciences has long led research lines closely linked to audience engagement. We are interested in using music to identify and analyse phenomena that go far beyond the surface, that are social, economic, and, of course, cultural,” explained the Director of BIME in an interview with UIC Barcelona.

At the official opening of the congress, the Basque Government reaffirmed its support for BIME and the first edition of the CIIIC. In his address, deputy minister for Culture Andoni Iturbe stressed that “the music sector and the creative industries are strategic drivers of economic and social development, with the potential to generate quality employment and new opportunities for international cooperation.”

The Dean of the Faculty of Communication Sciences at UIC Barcelona from 2023 to 2025, Dr. Pedro Sigaud Sellos, highlighted the University’s commitment to the creative industries. “This congress is the initial result of a deep reflection process at UIC Barcelona to give the importance it deserves to academia and research, in a central sector such as culture. Academia brings rigor to an issue as untamable as creativity,” he emphasized.
 

The growing prominence of Spanish-language music

Throughout the two-day congress, several participants highlighted the rise of Spanish-language music within the industry. The music data analytics platform Chartmetric revealed that Spain ranks ninth globally in terms of the number of musical artists and is a net exporter of music.

In the same vein, Lourdes Moreno Cazalla, doctor in Audiovisual Communication and lecturer at Nebrija University, underscored the “global” nature of Spanish artists and the power of music to “expand the reach of Spanish worldwide.” Presenting the Nebrija Observatory report “Spanish and Music in Spain: from exporting voices to importing hits”, Cazalla illustrated the evolution of Spanish artists; whereas before they were closely linked to their territory, with their own brand, they are now global figures who “forge a link between local and Latin culture.”

Accessibility and awareness

Ana Gómez de Castro, director of Education at concert promoter Live Nation, presented the “Respect Nation” project at the CIIIC. The programme aims to disseminate anti-harassment protocols and raise awareness around accessibility issues at nine concerts across Spain. The director noted that up to 80% of attendees at major music events in the country have engaged with these awareness points, helping to promote social consciousness around these topics.

UIC Barcelona lecturer Ana María Castillo and FUTURX research centre founder Nicolás Madoery closed the congress by outlining the main themes of the first BIME report, which will be published shortly. Their presentation addressed the democratisation of music through innovative platforms and co-creation spaces such as Wolfie, designed specifically for the music industry, and SUNO, a tool that supports music generation. Drawing on available industry data, the first BIME report is a proposal for dialogue aimed at building bridges between musical, technological, and academic ecosystems.