Scotland could be the site of the UK’s first ‘games supercluster’ according to a new plan which aims to build a £1 billion video-gaming powerhouse industry.
The Scottish Games Network has unveiled a ‘national action plan’ to help grow an already thriving video-gaming sector, based on five key recommendations.
The Level Up Scotland was created as a result of two years of intensive consultation, data-crunching, and cross-sectoral collaboration, said founder Scottish Games Network founder Brian Baglow.
He said: “For too long, the Scottish games industry has been our economy’s secret weapon – high performance, globally successful, but all too often missing from the strategic HUD.
“After two years of professional cat-herding and deep-dive research, we are handing over a blueprint that moves us all beyond fragmentation and invisibility. This isn’t just a report; it’s a mandate to weave games technology into the heart of Scottish innovation. By hitting ‘start’ on the UK’s first Games Supercluster, we are securing Scotland’s place as a global leader in the creative technology economy.”
The plan highlights the sector’s extraordinary productivity, with Scottish games developers delivering £151,382 gross value added (GVA) per head – more than double the national average.
The Action Plan argues that games are no longer a sub-sector of the creative industries but the ‘Golden Thread’ of the digital economy. The tools, technologies, and techniques forged in games have enormous transformational potential all sectors of the economy, including healthcare, manufacturing, education, data, cyber, fintech, film and energy.
The plan outlines five integrated recommendations to be implemented over a two-year pilot phase:
- Innovation at Scale: A National Games Innovation Centre to make games an integrated part of Scotland’s digital future.
- Strategic Leadership: Appointment of an Interim Chief Games Officer (CGO) to align the sector with National Strategies (National Strategy for Economic Transformation, Scottish Tech Ecosystem Review, National Innovation Strategy, etc.)
- Dedicated Investment: A de-risked pilot fund to leverage private capital and support original IP creation and co-development.
- Talent Retention: A National Games Skills & Education Forum spanning the entire education lifecycle, from primary school to continuing professional development.
- Enterprise Support: A specialist service to help Scottish studios start up, grow, scale, and achieve sustainability and global success.
Clare Adamson MSP and Michael Marra MSP, Co-conveners of the Cross-Party Group on Scotland’s Games Ecosystem, said: “The Level Up Scotland Action Plan provides the strategic coherence that Scotland’s games sector has needed. It demonstrates the undeniable value of our games developers and provides a clear, evidence-based path for the Scottish Government to support one of our most productive and innovative industries.”
Source: Futurescot