PortAventura & Vekoma Create New Company WeRiseUp
© Image: PortAventura World
(eap) The Spanish theme park resort PortAventura World and the Dutch roller coaster manufacturer Vekoma Rides have reached an agreement to establish a new company for the development of mixed reality experiences. With the new company WeRiseUp, PortAventura’s innovation unit Adventure Labs is to evolve into an independent, specialised studio.
WeRiseUp will comprise two central business areas for scalable mixed reality applications: one focusing on experiences for theme parks and another focusing on the development of mixed reality solutions for cultural offerings, including museums as a target group. In the field of theme parks, mixed reality is intended to enhance existing attractions, extend their lifecycle and encourage repeat visits.
Mixed reality enables digital storytelling as an overlay for existing attractions, allowing guests to experience new offerings. Interactive technologies can also be integrated via wearables, sensors and other devices. In the past, PortAventura has already presented mixed reality concepts in the form of the experiences “Hysteria in Boothill”, “El Diablo Neo” and “Expedición ULUM”.
PortAventura will be a partner and customer of WeRiseUp and will continue to function as a test laboratory for the iterative development of new experiences. The management team of the newly created company is headed by Andreu Tobella as CEO. Commenting on the partnership with Vekoma, he says: “Joining forces with Vekoma was a natural decision. They are world leaders in the design and manufacturing of attractions, and they share our vision of creating transformative experiences. Combining their engineering excellence with the operational know-how built at PortAventura World gives WeRiseUp a unique starting point to scale globally.”
Tobella adds: “PortAventura World has firmly believed that this division had enormous growth potential beyond our resort, and that is precisely why we have promoted its spin-off: to give it the autonomy, focus and ambition needed to lead a new chapter in immersive entertainment worldwide.”
The growth strategy for the coming years is said to include, in addition to the formal completion of the company spin-off and launch of the brand, the first national and international implementations of mixed reality experiences as well as the further development of creative processes with the help of artificial intelligence. ■
