Given its exceptional innovativeness and wide array of undertakings, HAL creates a multitude of benefits to be enjoyed by multiple beneficiaries. Naturally, these pertain to the Department of Audio and Visual Arts itself, as they will be fortifying both its human resources and general infrastructure with regard to research. Furthermore, they pertain to the research community outside the Department. At the same time, these benefits extend to the Ionian Islands Prefecture, its people and the local economy, and even wider, to the Greek and international public, and to institutions and organizations that operate outside the Islands themselves. 

Through the program, the Department of Audio and Visual Arts as well as the Ionian University at large, has the opportunity to increase its efficacy in the field of research. A more inviting environment is being created through HAL, one that is equipped according to the most up-to-date standards and staffed with a sufficient number of researchers, while at the same time following all best practices and meeting all international competence development requirements. In turn, all of the above create the right conditions for attracting partnerships both on a national and an international level. But most of all, HAL forms the perfect opportunity for the Department to apply the whole scope of its remit and its work directly onto the local community -and beyond- in a way that is equally beneficial to all sides involved. 

Moving along the axis of cutting-edge, interactive audiovisual arts and new media, HAL will design multimedia, intermedia and interactive applications and systems which can be capitalized on by a wide range of potential users, from the fields of research, artistic production, entertainment and the travel and hospitality industries. The immersive environments and gaming content that the program is set to develop will simplify and accelerate a whole series of activities for which, up until recently, called for the concurrent presence of all interested parties in one place. Creating and running film offices, location scouting, online meetings/conferences, virtual tours of museums, sights and potential venues for vacations, entertainment or shoots, producing and webcasting artistic performances from and to many different sites around the globe; these and many other processes are rendered exceptionally easy, while at the same time leaving a significantly smaller ecological footprint. Furthermore, they attract a notably larger number of users –individuals as well as organizations-, all of whom can reliably and directly acquire all the information about the opportunities that a region can offer with regard to tourism and to the creative industries. In this way, potential visitors from remote areas can watch these events and/or become familiarized with this exceptional place that is the Ionian Islands Prefecture, either because they intend to visit it on their holidays or because they want to use it for the site of their own artistic projects. This capability is even more useful and applicable when it comes to a place with the rich cultural and tourism resources of the Ionian Islands Prefecture. 

In the above-described ways, HAL radically increases the Ionian Island Prefecture’s visibility and attractiveness, as well as enhancing its online, virtual presence. Concurrently, it boosts the local economy and culture. It generates interest in both the local and international audience, as well as to artists, researchers and professionals from Greece and abroad. At the same time, the use of immersive environments, gamified content and telematics for online theatre, music and dance saves resources and time and leaves a significantly smaller ecological footprint. It also widens the range of possible users and of benefitted persons, institutions and businesses. 

In conclusion, the establishment of HAL is expected to a) enhance the diversity and scope of artistic undertakings across the Ionian Islands Prefecture, thus offering a new growth dynamics and increasing the Prefecture’s attractiveness and visibility, b) purvey scientific and experimental know-how to artists both within the Prefecture and nationally, c) expand the research focus of the Ionian University as an academic/research entity, as well its range of potential synergies with other academic institutions in Greece and abroad, d) function as an innovation hub for the creative economy, through its research-based services in standardization, design, evaluation and application enhancement, as applicable in the fields of culture and tourism.