Dundee Computer Games Cluster

Dundee Computer Games Cluster: partnerships between higher education institutes (HEIs) and industry.

Summary information

• Type of authority: university, urban
• Types of intervention: people, know-how, physical, positioning, networks
• Lead agency: university of Abertay
• Local authority: Dundee City Council
• Partners: Scottish Enterprise Tayside, Dundee City Council, industry
• Enablers of success: indigenous and longstanding strength in sector
• Barriers to success: not known

Context: success of games industry

Employment in Dundee changed dramatically during the 1980s with the loss of nearly 10,000 manufacturing jobs. This was due to closure of the shipyards, cessation of carpet manufacturing and the disappearance of the jute trade.

Dundee is a regional employment and education centre, with more than 300,000 persons within 30 minutes drive of the city centre and 700,000 people within one hour. The number of jobs in the city has grown by around 10 per cent since 1996. Recent and current investment levels in the city are at a record level.

Since 1997, Dundee has been the focus of investment approaching an estimated £1 billion. Information technology and software for computer games have been important industries in the city for more than 20 years. Dundee is responsible for 10 per cent of Britain’s digital entertainment industry, with an annual turnover of £100 million.

Description of intervention

Dundee Computer Games Cluster. The University of Abertay introduced the world's first MSc in Computer Games Technology, and the first undergraduate degree in Europe. In recent years, its strength in the growing field of computer arts has been recognised nationally and internationally. The university has created two initiatives designed to encourage new businesses to launch. They are:

• the graduate incubator unit, Embreonix, which provides support, facilities and mentoring for those studying for a Postgraduate Diploma in Entrepreneurship
• Dare to be Digital, a 10-week competition to develop new digital products, run in conjuction with Scottish Enterprise Tayside and Dundee City Council.

The International Centre for Computer Games and Virtual Entertainment (IC-CAVE) is located at The University of Abertay, Dundee. It is the UK's first applied academic research and development centre dedicated to the computer games and digital entertainment industry.

Seventeen games companies are based in Dundee employing more than 400 people already. This is projected to grow by 10 to 20 per cent over the next five years. Scotland's computer games industry is a real player on the world stage.

The University of Abertay, Dundee, has strong links with games companies in Scotland, England, Eire, and in Europe, Asia and North America. It offers a variety of internally competitive placement opportunities that give students hands-on experience of working for games companies, adding further strength to their curriculum vitae.

The university launched the Institute of Arts, Media and Computer Games in 2009. This is designated by the Scottish Funding Council as the National Centre for Excellence in Computer Games Education. As a Media Academy, all the media and games courses are approved by Skillset, the sector skills council for creative media, or are accredited by the British Computer Society (BCS).

IC-CAVE provides authoritative analysis of trends and directions, enables new business opportunities through innovation and delivers client projects on time and on budget. IC-CAVE is advised by a board, chaired by representatives from major Scottish computer games and electronic entertainment companies.

Inputs

The university used a Higher Education Funding Council's research development grant for £500,000 to set up the world's first centre to look specifically at computer games technology. They then used this to lever in other money worth £1.8 million.

Impacts

IC-CAVE is considered a key component in the local cluster of creative digital industries based in and around Dundee. It was launched in March 2001 and has since raised £1 million from commercial contracts, European funding and Scottish Enterprise's innovative Proof of Concept Fund. This helps research ideas move towards commercialisation.

Further information

University of Abertay Dundee

Page published June 2009.