The European Regional Science Association (ERSA) annual conference, is a key event for those focused on spatial economics and regional development, recently featured a special session dedicated to the burgeoning relationship between the video game industry and regional development.
The session was organized, moderated, and introduced by the GAM-ER partner Enrico Bertacchini from the University of Turin, and showcased the work conducted from the GAME-ER partners.
University of Turin takes the lead in WP2, focusing on the analysis and understanding of the spatial organization of European video game clusters. To learn more about the work conducted in WP2, we invite you to watch the first GAME-ER webinar which covered the topic: Mapping the European Videogame Industry: Insights and Methodologies.
The session began with Pier Paolo Patrucco (University of Turin), who presented a systematic review of existing literature on video game clusters worldwide. His work delved into the structural characteristics and determining factors behind the formation of these clusters, offering a broad, global perspective on the topic.
Following this, Nicola Costalunga (University of Turin) provided a detailed, localized case study. He presented a historical analysis of the Turin cluster, exploring its development and operational mechanisms. His research, based on a combination of interviews and local institutional sources, offered valuable insight into the internal dynamics of a specific regional video game hub.
The final presentation was delivered by Thomas Paris (CNRS), who shared the case of Angoulême. Paris’s analysis highlighted how creative clusters can effectively foster cultural entrepreneurship. His work emphasized the importance of cooperation, institutional support, and the strategic use of regional resources in promoting a thriving creative economy.
Overall, the special session provided a rich, comparative analysis of video game clusters, shedding light on their varied dynamics, unique strengths, and shared challenges across different regional contexts.
