The burgeoning digital gaming industry in Warwickshire will be making its presence felt on the international stage at the world’s largest commercial property show.
Leamington, Warwick and Southam, which has earned the title Silicon Spa, has the third largest cluster of gaming studios in the UK.
Over 30 gaming studios are based in the area in and around Leamington including established names such as Codemasters, Exient, SEGA Hardlight, Full Fat and Freestyle Games
Warwickshire County Council will be promoting the new Creative Quarter in Leamington, which includes digital media companies who focus on games development, digital design and publishing, at MIPIM in Cannes this week.
The county council is attending the world’s largest commercial property development and investment show as part of the Coventry and Warwickshire MIPIM 2015 Partnership which promotes development opportunities in the area.
Cllr Izzi Seccombe, leader of Warwickshire County Council, said over 1,000 people are employed in the gaming cluster in the area, accounting for ten per cent of the UK’s industry.
“Attending MIPIM gives the area the opportunity to promote the strong, private-led gaming business cluster in Leamington, Warwick and Southam,” she said.
The Invest in Warwickshire team will be talking to potential inward investors at MIPIM about plans to develop a new Creative Quarter in Leamington which would provide space for digital, computer gaming, educational, artistic, performance arts, crafts and catering businesses as part of plans to regenerate Spencer Yard and the Old Town’s riverside area.
Cllr Seccombe said: “The gaming industry is extremely important to our current and future economic prosperity and attracting start-up companies to the area is bringing more jobs to Silicon Spa as well as encouraging interest in the plans for the Creative Quarter in an industry which is forecast strong growth.
“Leamington, Warwick and Southam has quickly established a reputation as a thriving creative hub and by attending MIPIM, we have the opportunity to promote our successes to a new audience to attract further investment in the area.
“To account for such a large percentage of the UK’s gaming workforce shows that we have the right facilities to continue to have a major presence in this sector.
“We are known throughout the world over for automotive and engineering, but the gaming industry has succeeded through the growth of specialist companies so, I think it is fair to say, it has not had the level of profile it warrants.”
Warwickshire officially teamed up with Coventry at MIPIM three years ago and continue to promote the sub-region.
MIPIM is funded by a partnership of private sector developers and other related businesses and in recent years, it has been at no cost to rate payers.