A multi-dimensional consortium of actors from technology, entrepreneurship and cultural world, coordinates the new European project “i-Game” in the Cultural & Creative Industries.
On February 20 and 21, 2024, the Kick-off meeting of the project took place at the premises of the Centre for Research and Technology Hellas (CERTH), which is also the project’s Lead partner. A total of eleven organizations from distinguished universities, museums and cultural institutions collaborate under the umbrella of “i-Game”, i.e. The Business & Cultural Development Centre (KEPA), Raising the floor, Cookie box, Nurogames GMBH, Museospace, KU Leuven, Open Impact, Prato Textile Museum Foundation, Unisystems, Estonian National Museum.
Recognizing the importance of the role of video games in the contemporary cultural environment, the newly launched three-year European project, “i-Game”, aims to create an inclusive open-source game development platform that will facilitate their co-creation by different stakeholders, in cultural and creative sectors and industries (CCSI), to boost innovation with a positive impact on social cohesion and sustainability.
This accessible and inclusive platform will facilitate the participation of a diverse group of stakeholders, enriching the community with advanced ideas and backgrounds, enabling the creation of new alliances, solutions and bringing to light new opportunities. Additionally, the collaborative platform will support the project community, beyond offering a wealth of digital tools in defining, designing, and developing relationships, partnerships and games. Key elements to ultimately transform the initiative into an ecosystem where participants find motivation and inspiration, connect personal goals with those of other stakeholders, and share the knowledge generated.
The subject of the kick-off meeting among the project partners were issues related to planning of the upcoming actions, while at the same time scheduling was set with the aim of the best possible management of the tasks by topic and working group. Specifically, on Tuesday, February 20, the meeting was framed by the opening speeches of Messrs. Giorgio Constantino, Policy Officer of the European Commission and Dr. Stefanos Vrochidis, Principal Researcher and coordinator of the project, while presentations of the entities participating in the consortium and the activities undertaken by each partner followed. On Wednesday, February 21, the meeting focused on technical issues and the working groups per activity of the project were also defined, while the “leaders” of each activity developed the methodology for their implementation.
The Business and Cultural Development Centre – KEPA, having successfully implemented projects related to the Cultural & Creative Industries (CCIs), contributes to this joint consortium by highlighting and promoting innovative solutions aimed at designers/developers and end users of the gaming industry, culture (museums) and the fashion and textile sectors.
The European video games industry is of significant cultural, commercial, and social importance. In the EU, this sector is growing rapidly, currently accounting for a third of the total market value, opening the way for new possibilities for research and innovation. Even during the COVID-19 crisis it has seen significant growth, recognized by the European Parliament for its potential for creativity and development (see European Parliament resolution of 10 November 2022 on e-sports and video games).
