The Institut Universitari de l'Audiovisual (IUA) was cofounded by Xavier Berenguer in 1994, in parallel with the establishment of the Studies of Audiovisual Communication of the University Pompeu Fabra (UPF).

Interestingly, that same year (more or less) three other Catalan institutions digitally advanced were created too at Barcelona: the Open University of Catalonia, dedicated to education, Vilaweb, dedicated to journalism, and Sónar, the festival on electronic music. The IUA covered the aspects of education, production and research on digital media.

Thanks to the confidence of the Chairman of the UPF, Enric Argullol, the IUA began its activities in a mezzanine of Ramblas 32, in front of the Studies Building. Xavier Berenguer directed the visual area and Xavier Serra the musical one.

Digital media were then in the prehistory: Internet was just beginning to spread and many students did not know how to operate a computer (sic). That conditioned the task of the IUA, which had to face the difficulties of a very laborious digital technology and a certain fight for credibility.

With the incorporation of the Phonos Foundation, the musical area took off quickly. On the other hand, the visual area experienced 3D animation at several levels and started a line of production of cultural interactives. The two areas, among other activities, were behind the Master in Digital Arts and the Scholarships for Audiovisual Creation.

Over time, the musical area was set apart as Music Technology Group and has become an internationally recognized research center.

Xavier Berenguer directed the IUA until 2000; then it was directed by Xavier Serra, Josep Blat and Paul Verschure. With the increasing weight of technology —on the environment and on the resources— the IUA was losing the original perspective and, finally, on July 2007, was dissolved.

This page refers some materials of the IUA of the 1994-2000 period.