At the Scottish Games Network we are delighted with the announcement of Scotland’s first National Innovation Week, a new initiative from the Scottish Government set to take place from Monday 22 to Friday 26 September. This is a fantastic and much-needed celebration of the country’s legacy as a nation of “inventors, creators and problem solvers.”
The week aims to showcase Scotland’s global leadership in the transformative technologies and industries of the future, turning ambition into action. The government’s National Innovation Strategy rightly focuses on key areas such as advanced manufacturing, energy transition, health and life sciences, and data and digital technologies.
While we celebrate this initiative, it also presents a vital opportunity to highlight the central role that Scotland’s games sector plays across every single one of these priority areas.
Games: The Engine Room of Innovation
When we talk about “data and digital technologies,” the games industry is not just a participant; it is a pioneer. Our sector is at the bleeding edge of real-time 3D visualisation, immersive technologies, virtual production, AI, and interactive design. The technologies and skills honed in Scottish games studios are the very tools being adopted by other industries to solve their biggest challenges.
- In advanced manufacturing and energy transition, our expertise in creating complex digital twins and real-time simulations is invaluable for design, training, and operational management.
- In health and life sciences, Scottish developers are already creating applications for digital therapeutics, mental health diagnostics, surgical training and more.
- In data and digital, our industry is a masterclass in managing vast, complex systems and creating engaging, intuitive, user-centric experiences.
- In the wider creative industries, technologies from the games world are becoming the primary creative tools for a growing range of designers, creators, artists and businesses of all kinds.
As Business Minister Richard Lochhead stated, these technologies are “powerful tools to tackle the global challenges of our time.” The Scottish games sector is the engine room where many of these tools are being forged.
Mr Lochhead said:
Scotland is a nation of inventors, creators and problem solvers. We invented the steam engine and the television, and discovered penicillin. Today we stand at the forefront of the next wave of transformative technologies which not only offer immense potential for economic growth but also powerful tools to tackle the global challenges of our time – from healthcare and energy to climate change.
Companies across Scotland are speeding up the development of new drugs and medicines through automation, pioneering the energy systems of the future and developing the space and satellite technology to help tackle climate change – to give just a few examples.
It is essential that we seize these opportunities to benefit both our economy and society. Scotland’s first National Innovation Week marks a pivotal moment to turn ambition into action and cement our place as a truly global innovation nation.
Connecting to the Games Action Plan
The case for games as a transformative technology is a core pillar of the Scottish Games Action Plan, currently in the final stages of development. For Scotland to fully realise its potential as a “truly global innovation nation,” it is essential that the games industry is integrated into the national strategy. Our sector is a living laboratory for innovation, and we are eager to collaborate with the government and other industries to share our expertise.
The Scottish Games Network and the entire games ecosystem look forward to participating in the first National Innovation Week. We are ready to showcase how Scotland’s games industry is not just part of the creative economy, but a fundamental driver of the country’s entire innovation agenda.