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Digital Businesses

New Mexico's digital business sector spans a range of companies, from those specializing in Information Technology/Software and digital media, including game development, computer animation, medical imagery and multimedia, to a rapidly growing cluster in film. The state offers many industry incentives , including generous tax breaks, support from trade associations and other groups, and a talented and skilled labor pool to draw from.

Information Technology/Software

With more than 850 companies employing 12,000-15,000 people, IT/Software is one of our largest high-tech clusters. The IT cluster is particularly strong in:

  • cluster supercomputers
  • informatics
  • data mining and complexity science
  • environmental software
  • educational technologies
  • Internet technologies
  • cyber security and encryption
  • networking technologies.

The IT/Software cluster can draw on a variety of assets to enhance its research:

The New Mexico Information Technology & Software Association coordinates the interests of more than 20 local information technology companies.

Digital Media

Company specialization in this field includes:

  • graphics animation
  • visualization
  • geospatial information
  • multimedia development
  • medical imagery

In late 2005, the University of New Mexico launched the Digital Media Garage, a high-tech facility that includes an experimental dome, visualization/perception lab and experimental 'black box' with a full-corner green screen, a motion-capture system and an advanced lighting system. The center was funded as part of Governor Bill Richardson's $3M Media Industries Strategy Project. Several schools in the state offer programs to train students in animation:

  • UNM offers animation training as a part of an arts or computer science degree
  • Santa Fe Community College offers animation training as part of an associate's degree in Media Arts
  • College of Santa Fe has the Moving Image Arts Department degree program
  • CNM offers an associate's degree in computing technology with a concentration in computer animation

Web development and Internet companies network through the New Mexico Internet Professionals Association.

Film

The State Legislature has already appropriated more than $12M to nurture the state's fledgling film industry and created a generous set of incentives. In 2006, the Legislature funded a $200,000 film and media grant to support training and student productions. The grant was divided among seven New Mexico colleges and universities. Since 2003, more than 85 film and television projects have been shot in New Mexico, generating an estimated $500M in revenue to the state, and has added about $1.2B to the overall economy. Job-wise, the film industry has grown from 60 registered union members in 2002 to more than 1300 in 2007. 

  • In an effort to increase the number of qualified crew members for the film industry, the State Film Office has created the Film Technicians' Training Program (FTTP), which is offered at both Central New Mexico Community College in Albuquerque and Santa Fe Community College.
  • The Albuquerque Film Office offers free assistance to filmmakers, acts as a liason with city agencies and helps to obtain locations, equipment, and hotel accommodations.
  • The Santa Fe Film Festival premiers New Mexican films, as well as new American and foreign films including revivals, retrospectives, independent productions and mini-festivals.
  • The Duke City Shootout annually chooses seven, 12-minute original screenplays and brings the writers of those screenplays to Albuquerque, where they are given digital equipment, crews, a mentor from the industry and one week to produce their movies.
  • New film studios are under discussion for both Rio Rancho and the Mesa del Sol development in Albuquerque. They will supplement the existing sound stage at the Greer Garson Communication Center at the College of Santa Fe and facilities like the Eaves Movie Ranch.
  • The UNM Foundation is establishing the Mesa del Sol Endowed Professorship in Film and Digital Media with a $750K endowment from Forest City Covington LLC. The Professor will lead a multidisciplinary program at UNM, which will allow students to work in collaborative real-world teams.
  • New Mexico Producer's Coalition is a professional organization with the goal to give small production companies better access to the state's film incentives packages. For more information on the New Mexico Producers Coalition, contact Luca Ceccarelli at nmpc@hdnm.com.