Global Omnium Will Invest Nearly 2 Million in the First Year of Managing the Seville Aquarium
The new management company of the Seville Aquarium, Global Omnium, will invest almost 2 million in improvements and works in its first year, which include, among others, the completion of the auditorium, the introduction of new animals, the application of augmented reality, and the celebration of the Magellan Year, as announced yesterday by the company’s president, Eugenio Calabuig, during an event where the company and new leaders were introduced, including the Head of the Aquariums Division, Celia Calabuig, and the center’s director, Juan Antonio Romero.
The president of Global Omnium thanked the port authority for their collaboration in the acquisition process. Eugenio Calabuig explained the philosophy and history of Global Omnium, a century-old but family-owned company in constant growth, dedicated to the integral water cycle and which has made and is making a significant commitment to new technologies.
Calabuig assured the media that the company he presides over guarantees the total stability of the aquarium and its certain expansion.
The president of the Port Authority, Manuel Gracia, welcomed Global Omnium to the Muelle de las Delicias, an environment that represents “the showcase of the Port of Seville to the city” and highlighted the trust placed in the Aquarium to boost the leisure offer in the port-city area.
On the other hand, the president of the Port Institution has emphasized the research work that the University of Seville, with APS funding, is carrying out in the Aquarium’s laboratories to expand knowledge of the Guadalquivir estuary.
Augmented Reality in the Aquarium
The general director of Global Omnium, Vicente Fajardo, revealed the innovative high technology that the company has developed and announced that it will be applied in the Seville Aquarium. Fajardo reported that unique results will be obtained in aquarium management, such as monitoring and controlling all environmental parameters to improve the quality of life of the animals. Likewise, the potential customer profile will be analyzed with Big Data techniques, and new user experiences can be provided with augmented reality techniques developed by start-ups from Global Omnium’s incubator, Sic Parvis Magna, as well as incomparable audiovisual experiences with sound, lighting, and environments created along the way with user experience designers, which “will make the Seville Aquarium a 21st-century center, without losing the current educational and environmental conservation essence”.
An Auditorium with 250 Seats
Celia Calabuig, president of the company that manages the Oceanogràfic in Valencia, emphasized the professionalism and enthusiasm of the Sevillian aquarium employees, of which she said “we want to make a reference aquarium, not only as a facility where marine life is contemplated but as a disseminator of knowledge about the sea and the river, as a leisure facility and one of the greatest attractions of Seville”.
Calabuig stressed the company’s objective of making the center located on the banks of the Guadalquivir “an aquarium committed to the conservation of oceans and rivers and their species. For this, we are going to invest continuously throughout the years of the concession to have novelties that attract both Sevillians and visitors from outside”. And she specified that in the first year, around 2 million will be invested.
This commitment includes the introduction of new technologies that save energy and help us to be at the forefront and, mainly, the completion of the auditorium that will have 250 seats and will serve as a perfect stage for conferences, presentations, and events. “It will have – she announced – something very special: a tank that will represent a submerged Amazon forest, which will be the best setting for any presentation”.
The Head of the Aquariums Division of Global Omnium also revealed two specific objectives of the new management company: to bring the aquarium closer to the city and to participate very actively in the celebration of the Magellan Year. “This aquarium – she concluded – is the best stage to tell the story of Magellan’s travels and show the world what it meant”.
An Expert International Director of Aquariums
Finally, the new director, Juan Antonio Romero, was introduced to the press. He is a renowned professional in the marine world who began his career as a documentarian with Jacques Cousteau and has since carried out extensive work across all oceans. He is sought after in international forums to share his opinions and experiences. Additionally, Romero has been the director of some of the largest aquariums, such as those in Dubai, Genoa, the British National Aquarium, and Istanbul.
Romero outlined some points of the work program that Global Omnium has set out upon assuming management. Firstly, he reported on the expansion of the aquarium, not only in square meters but also in its animal collection with innovative exhibitions. He also mentioned that a very interesting and previously underexploited aspect of the aquarium would be opened up, such as national and international collaboration with universities, conservation societies, research centers, etc.
Finally, he emphasized the technology that will be implemented in the aquarium to control all parameters in an ecological and sustainable manner, aiming for animal welfare and reduced energy consumption.