Gaming Clusters Across Multiple European Regions

The main objective of the project Gaming Clusters Across Multiple European Regions (GAME-ER) is to research how video games clusters emerge, develop and sustain themselves, with particular focus on local and regional clusters.

Based on this research, GAME-ER will formulate a series of policy and practical recommendations which will compose an Interactive Methodological Toolkit.

These recommendations are aimed especially at local and national policy and decision-makers, with the intent to help them bootstrap Cultural and Creative Industries clusters, or strengthen existing clusters in their regions or cities.Much of existing research on video game clusters concentrate on clusters outside Europe, or on European clusters in capital or large metropolitan cities (such as Helsinki or Hamburg).

However local and regional clusters also are key drivers of innovation, growth and cohesion and GAME-ER will fill the gap around the limited knowledge we have about them.

To achieve its ambitious objective GAME-ER a core component will be a comparative analysis of six local and regional clusters in five European countries, which include France, the Czech Republic, Italy, Scotland and Portugal.

These clusters have been selected because of their different levels of maturity, and their specificities such as the concentration of human creativity or companies.

Moreover GAME-ER will conduct a Europe wide analysis of the spatial organization of the European video games industry/ecosystem, with focus on local and regional clusters.

Through this research the project will formulate policy and practical recommendations using a participatory approach and working with policy makers and the industry.

The project is organised in six Work Packages, with 3 dedicated to research clusters and one focusing on building the project Toolkit.

The project includes 16 partners from 9 countries, with expertise in social sciences and humanities, policy making, the third-sector, business and innovation.