The group is at the forefront of research in this sector thanks to the triple research axis promoted by dx5’s team of lecturers, artists, researchers and technologists. It is therefore highly competitive and adapts to the interdisciplinarity it promotes. Furthermore, art in many countries in Europe is taught outside the University sphere and this hampers the generation of proposals of a similar nature in these countries, because even though their artistic praxis is of great importance, they are nevertheless distant from the research methodology and scientific rigour of a highly trained university research team.

Despite the heterogeneity of the dx5 proposals and solutions presented, it should be noted that these are always formulated from an original humanities perspective: art is always our origin and destination. Our work using the state-of-the-art (R&D) technologies —linked with overlapping scientific fields that span molecular physics, applied physics, nanotechnology, microchemistry, materials technology, information and communications technologies, virtual reality, networks, etc.— and our humanist approach, facilitate development of results, research lines, and knowledge of great interest, without renouncing industrial progress in our field of knowledge.

The group is a pioneer in this type of research, at the level and depth it works, and therefore has a good incipient capacity for integration and consolidation, in terms of university-industry-enterprise interaction, evident through the contract signed between dx5 and the Japanese multinational SEIKO EPSON Corp. (2004), a leading company in the world of consumer electronics; and the Framework Collaboration Agreement signed between the ESTAMPA International Multiple Art Fair and the University of Vigo (2011), promoted by this same research team. Moreover, the team has a high scientific production index in the Humanities area of the University of Vigo. It is well structured and experienced in managing events with international researcher participation such as the I International Forum of Multiple Art (2011) held at the Estampa International Fair (in collaboration with IAC and the Telefónica Foundation); the Interreg ARTECH 2004 European Project “The Intangible Matrix”, and the International Conferences and Workshops on “Art & Design. Creation at the Border” (2010), besides many interdisciplinary symposiums with researchers from foreign (European, American and Asian) universities via different research projects. Ever since its creation in 2004, dx5 has actively promoted collaboration and exchange with institutions, art foundations and other international university and non-university teams, and has become a network of vital importance for present and future dx5 activities because of its trajectory, renowned artistic prestige, and research role.

The group’s research potential has been strengthened in recent years due to the completion of several high impact Fine Arts and associated industry projects. Moreover, the group is now consolidated within its research environment thanks to financial success in several competitive public calls, and has likewise matured the team with the addition of new PhD researchers and new predoctoral fellows with prior experience of the dx5 research methodology through tutorship or as scholars in Departmental collaboration agreements with both Central and Regional (Xunta de Galicia) Governments. In recent years, the group has obtained funding from the Xunta de Galicia through the call for the consolidation of Excellence groups in Humanities (2009 and 2017), as well as from the General Subdirectorate for Research Projects of the Ministry of Science and Innovation, in three consecutive triennials (2008-2011, 2012-2014, and 2016-2019).