The VIEW Conference 2025, held at OGR Torino, brought together world-class professionals from visual effects, animation, games, and immersive media. Among the speakers, the project partners took the stage to highlight the role of collaboration between academia, industry, and policymakers in shaping the future of Europe’s gaming ecosystem.
The VIEW Conference 2025, held at OGR Torino, brought together world-class professionals from visual effects, animation, games, and immersive media. Among the speakers, the project partners took the stage to highlight the role of collaboration between academia, industry, and policymakers in shaping the future of Europe’s gaming ecosystem.
The VIEW Conference is Italy’s premier event dedicated to animation, visual effects, games, and immersive media. Held annually in Turin, it brings together world-renowned professionals, studios, and innovators to explore the intersection of art, technology, and storytelling.
The conference offers a vibrant mix of keynote talks, workshops, and networking sessions, providing a platform for creators, researchers, and industry leaders to exchange ideas and shape the future of digital entertainment.
This year, the GAME-ER consortiu has participated at the panel “The Power of Collaboration in the Gaming Industry” featured leading voices from across the sector:
In order to highlight the importance of this event for the GAME-ER Project and its mission to strengthen innovation and collaboration in the European gaming landscape, we sat down with Luís Leça from Inova+, the coordinator of the GAME-ER project.
Q: Luís, why does participation in high-profile industry events such as the VIEW Conference represent a strategic opportunity for the GAME-ER project?
Participating in industry-focused events like the VIEW Conference is highly valuable because it allows us to bridge the gap between research and the industry. These events provide a platform to share diverse perspectives and learn from the knowledge and results of both parties. For GAME-ER, which focuses on studying regional video game clusters in Europe, it is crucial to present these case studies to the industry.
By doing so, we can inspire and motivate smaller regions and industrial clusters to follow the example of those we study, thus contributing to economic and societal value creation. Additionally, these events allow us to tailor our research and presentation of findings to meet the industry’s needs, which is vital for supporting its growth and expansion.
Q: How is GAME-ER advancing collaboration within Europe’s gaming ecosystem, and what role will its outcomes play in informing and supporting policymakers and decision-makers?
GAME-ER employs a unique research methodology that sets it apart from other initiatives. Our project combines the study of smaller clusters in peripheral European regions—those often overlooked in previous research—with the mapping of the broader European video game industry. This approach addresses one of the industry’s biggest gaps: the lack of comprehensive data on these smaller, emerging clusters.
Through over 180 in-depth interviews with key stakeholders, analysis of more than 600 documents, and mapping of industry actors and skills, GAME-ER offers a holistic view of the gaming industry across different cluster realities, each with varying levels of maturity.
The primary goal of this research is to gather scientific evidence that will be compiled into a dynamic toolkit. This toolkit will provide policymakers and various stakeholders with policy recommendations and actionable insights based on the clusters studied, which can be easily replicated in other regions and contexts across Europe. Through this toolkit, GAME-ER will not only inform and guide policymakers but also contribute to the development and value creation of other clusters within the European gaming ecosystem.
Q: The project involves diverse partners, such as universities, companies, and public bodies. How do these collaborations shape the impact of the project?
The GAME-ER consortium includes a diverse range of stakeholders that typically make up a video game cluster. This includes prestigious universities with a strong track record in gaming industry research, industry partners and associations with deep knowledge of the day-to-day operations of game studios, and public authorities who bring the institutional perspective and policymaker experience to the table.
These collaborations are essential as they help to validate our research recommendations and transform them into actionable insights. They also allow for on-the-ground testing of these recommendations through pilot activities. The synergy between academic, industry, and public sector partners enables us to take a more comprehensive and nuanced approach to our analysis, which ultimately strengthens the project’s impact.
Q: What are the next steps for GAME-ER?
Currently, GAME-ER is in its 20th month of a 36-month implementation period. We have recently achieved significant milestones, including the completion of interviews with local stakeholders in the clusters, the mapping of the industry, with a sample of over 4,000 companies (D2.1 – Report on the current state of knowledge on Video game industry as Cultural and Creative Industry), and the analysis of policy documents and reports, which have been compiled in D5.1 – Report on Policy Review.
At this stage, with the research maturing and some tangible results emerging, the consortium is working on defining the initial policy recommendations. We are also preparing the creation of the interactive toolkit that will include dynamic maps, tailored recommendations, and industry content for dissemination to policymakers and industry decision-makers for initial evaluation and testing.
Additionally, we will begin pilot testing the defined recommendations in the clusters of Fundão and Turin (through OGR Tech and the QuickLoad Acceleration Program) to empirically validate the recommendations. These coming months will be focused on finalizing the research, promoting the findings, and engaging with policymakers to help inform and contribute to the development of future policies. We will also continue to share our approach and experiences with other regions through collaborative workshops, joint policy papers, and other platforms, ensuring that our findings can be replicated across Europe.
This conversation we had with Luís Leça has offered us valuable insights into how GAME-ER is contributing to a more connected and collaborative European gaming ecosystem.
As the project moves into its next phase, its outcomes will continue to inform policies and foster innovation across regions, helping to strengthen Europe’s position in the global video game industry.
We are inviting you to continue follow us in our journey and to join us in supporting the growth of a stronger, more innovative European gaming landscape!
