BGI GameDev Incubation pilot Recap
From 2018 to 2020 Ventspils High Technology Park (VHTP) had been part of a game development incubation pilot programme carried out within the Baltic Game Industry (BGI) project. Though the thought of an incubator had not been a completely new experience for VHTP it came with a lot of challenges and necessary insights into the current state of the game development industry in Latvia. Along with other project partners VHTP has contributed to a series of Guidelines, depicting the findings of each incubation pilot during this period, taking into account their previous experience and operating environment, dealing with policymakers, mentoring and/or coaching staff, attraction of funding and start-ups to the incubator, and the like. The Guidelines are available in English in the links below: “ Model scheme and manual for game incubation programming and financing ” (Output 3.3) The model scheme illustrates ‘how to’ run an incubation programme for game companies, drafted in form of a manual for business support providers and intermediaries working with game business. It contains: a modular-type game incubation programme with focus on the business dimension; a checklist for defining requirements towards participation in the incubation programme and suggestions for attraction and selection of participants, methods for performing monitoring and measurements of learning outcomes/competence development; models for the financing of incubation services; requirements to further framework development. “ Guideline for set-up and maintenance of a mentoring system for game business incubation ” (Output 3.4) The findings, lessons learnt and solutions for game mentoring deriving from the pilot are incorporated in a guideline for the set-up and maintenance of a mentoring system for the game sector. The guideline provides hands-on support regarding the whole process of set-up and maintenance of a mentor system (search for mentors, get in contact, motivate them to get engaged, integrate them in the programme, monitor their work and give feedback, promote their engagement, keep them on board, support further development etc.). “ Manual on international cooperation for BSR-wide game business development ” (Output 3.5) The manual summarises all the findings, lessons learnt and conclusions from the work on internationalisation, ideas for cooperation and recommendations to the different actors in game business. It comprises in particular: intended effects of internationalisation for BSR game business development; a concept for promoting the BSR as game hotspot, joint representation of game business and intermediaries from the BSR region, branding and corporate identity of the BSR game business; approaches for set-up and maintaining international cooperation of game business intermediaries, as well as for fostering international exchange, mobility and cooperation of game developers / game companies; recommendations to policy decision-makers, business networks and (potential) investors for supporting internationalisation in the BSR game business. The project Baltic Game Industry is financed by the European Union from the European Regional Development Fund, within the programme Interreg Baltic Sea Region.