P1 Competitive economy
1.1. New Central Baltic knowledge intensive companies
Central Baltic
01.09.2016 - 31.01.2020
€1 553 704
€1 218 690
The CB region is characterized by significant differences in economic development. Regions of Sweden and Finland belong to the group of the most developed regions within EU. On the other hand, Estonia and Latvia show now the fastest growth of GDP in the EU. There is a strong potential and a need of further integration of CB countries’ economies via new CB joint business development activities, cluster cooperation and further integration of labour market. New SMEs are needed to complement business structures and enhance the economic situation in the EU.
This project is focused on the creation of joint cross-border companies and seeks to enhance and strengthen the CB region as a globally competitive hub for the cross-border gaming industry’s start-ups and companies. Planned cross-border activities help to identify and provide the missing links to the CB gaming sector ecosystem at the emerging phase of global gaming industry and to enhance its value in the global ecosystem. Cooperation in this new innovative sector is crucial to gain critical mass for the industry in the CB region and to increase the number of SMEs and jobs.
The project contributes in solving common challenges in the CB region’s gaming industry companies by identifying their common interests and needs for joint development, by supporting the creation of joint cross-border companies and their further integration and cooperation, and by developing a new type of gaming sector’s joint venture accelerator for the CB region. Specifically designed training and matchmaking events called Game Camps, will be organized in all participating countries.
During the project at least 10 new joint cross-border companies will be formed and a total of 240 people will participate in the Game Camps organized in Finland, Estonia, Latvia and Sweden. Also, an acceleration program is made for creating and mentoring new cross-border game startups
Cursor Oy
Country: FI
Partner budget: 620.278 EUR
Amount of ERDF funding: 465.209 EUR ERDF
Eesti Digikeskus
Country: EE
https://www.inforegister.ee/80297758-EESTI-DIGIKESKUS-MTU
Partner budget: 35.043 EUR
Amount of ERDF funding: 29.786 EUR ERDF
Latvijas Tehnologiskais centrs, nodibinajums
Country: LV
Partner budget: 289.674 EUR
Amount of ERDF funding: 246.223 EUR ERDF
Science Park Gotland
Country: SE
Partner budget: 399.308 EUR
Amount of ERDF funding: 299.481 EUR ERDF
Tartu Teaduspark
Country: EE
Partner budget: 209.401 EUR
Amount of ERDF funding: 177.991 EUR ERDF
Uppsala Universitet, Institutionen för speldesign
Country: SE
Tallinn University Baltic Film and Media School
Country: EE
Latvijas tehnologisko parku, centru un biznesa incubatoru associacija
Country: LV
Achieved results
CB 4 GameCamps accelerated gaming start-ups
The project targeted to create 10 new cross-border companies in the gaming industry and contributing to solving common challenges in the CB region’s gaming industry. Identifying their common interests and needs for joint development and supporting the creation of joint cross-border companies and their further integration and cooperation and the networking and knowledge increase in CB region gaming sector.
By the end of the project 5 new cross-border start-ups were supported and several more cross-border teams still continued to develop their games and had potential to become new companies in the future.
In addition, the project has supported 15-20 existing new start-ups. They have been attending several events organised by the project and most importantly attended the Silicon Valley pitching trip in San Francisco in March 2019. This has resulted in new business opportunities and deal flow for the start-ups.
The Game Camps project brought together 240+ aspiring game developers from Finland, Estonia, Latvia and Sweden. More than 30 professional mentors have given presentations, lectures and mentoring sessions during the four Game Camps. Their involvement increased the participants knowledge about the gaming industry and improved their business skills. Hosting Game Camps for emerging start-ups and game developers proved to be an effective instrument to enable them to meet business developers. These were complemented with other activities offered to start-ups which gave a thematic ground for cross-border exchange and commitments.
One of the main results for the partner organizations, aside from meeting the objectives, was extensive experience and knowledge of challenges connected to internationalization and acceleration of start-ups within the gaming industry. Another would be that over 50 ideas were developed during these four bootcamp events (Tallinn, Riga, Kotka and Visby) and among them around 10-20 % have reached the gaming market.
- 5 new cross-border start-ups supported
- 15-20 existing new start-ups supported
- 240+ aspiring game developers in Game Camps
- A flow of deals for start-ups
Internet presence
Other media visibility
Back from GDC - here is what happened! (Steam, 2019)
Uusi miljoonaluokan peliprojekti käynnistyy Kymenlaaksossa (Yle, 2016)