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<\/a><\/p>\nScotland\u2019s \u201cSecret Weapon\u201d<\/b><\/p>\n
In short, no. Researchers estimate that the absence of a unified national vision backed by government has left the Scottish gaming<\/a> cluster fragmented and volatile, putting it behind similarly placed countries like Finland.<\/p>\n The chilly Nordic state is home to around 270 studios<\/a> bringing in a turnover of \u00a32.47 billion a year, while Scotland\u2019s 130 firms rake in just \u00a3340 million by comparison \u2013 far short of the \u00a31\u2011plus billion they\u2019d expect if performing on a similar scale.<\/p>\n Scotland should not be lagging that far behind, the study argues. The country\u2019s gaming sector already brings in more than double the GVA per head than the Scottish average, making it an under-valued yet high-yield asset, a \u201csecret weapon\u201d, that could deliver huge economic and cultural returns with the right investment and support.<\/p>\n To bridge the divide, the report sets out a phased, low\u2011risk plan to grow the games ecosystem, building on work already started under the UK\u2011wide Modern Industrial Strategy and Creative Industries Review, and in line with Scotland\u2019s National Strategy for Economic Transformation and Technology Ecosystem Review.<\/p>\n Over phase one, the roadmap calls for the creation of a Scottish Games Growth Catalyst Pilot Fund, backed by \u00a35 million and overseen by a new chief games officer (CGO) who will provide strategic alignment across government and policy.<\/p>\n The fund could hand out prototype grants of up to \u00a350,000 for the creation of new Scottish gaming IP \u2013 with a target of 50 new IPs by 2028 \u2013 and \u00a3100,000 to help work-for-hire studios compete on the global stage.<\/p>\n That support, the report argues, would give Scottish studios the stability they need to de-risk their businesses and self\u2011fund their own projects \u2013 kick-starting a cycle of reinvestment that grows the sector over time.<\/p>\n Speedrunning Growth<\/b><\/p>\n But while an influx of cash can help Scotland\u2019s games sector level up, staying at the top of the leaderboard will take ongoing support, and a policy reboot surrounding the skills needed to keep the industry thriving.<\/p>\n Although government figures<\/a> show that Scotland\u2019s studios have seen employment double from 1,045 to 2,125 since 2015, data from industry body TIGA<\/a> shows that half of all UK game devs, including Scotland, found it difficult to fill vacancies in 2024, especially in disciplines like art, programming, and design.<\/p>\n To that end, the Scottish roadmap recommends the creation of a new National Games Skills and Education Forum that can serve as a talent pipeline, alongside a new Games Enterprise and Sustainability Service, which would provide expertise around founding and scaling a games business.\u00a0<\/p>\n The aim is to see at least twenty new studios established in Scotland by 2028, adding more than 5,000 new jobs to the sector over the next four years.<\/p>\n Tying all these objectives together, however, is the report\u2019s big-ticket recommendation \u2013 the creation of a National Games Innovation Centre, what would be the \u201coperational core\u201d of Scotland\u2019s games supercluster.<\/p>\n Framed as a blend of Screen Scotland and The Data Lab, the new national body would function as an investment hub, research base, and central coordinator for the games sector, with the report suggesting it could generate almost \u00a316 in GVA for every \u00a31 of public spend.<\/p>\n Gaming\u2019s \u201cGolden Thread\u201d<\/b><\/p>\n The report argues that Scotland\u2019s gaming sector is \u201cunderdeveloped\u201d compared to the film and TV sectors, yet offers a much wider, cross-sector economic impact.\u00a0<\/p>\n