Scotland’s ecosystem cluster for the games sector, the Scottish Games Network, has announced the More Than Games: Creative Industries Innovation Summit, an initiative to unite Scotland’s thriving games ecosystem with the country’s wider creative and cultural landscape.

Taking place on November 26th at Barclays Eagle Lab in Glasgow, the invitation-only summit is the latest in a series of events held since 2022 and will once again bring together a curated group of leaders across games, film, TV, music, theatre, and museums.

Backed by The National Lottery through Creative Scotland, the summit will spotlight how the tools, technologies, and ‘playful thinking’ of the games sector can tackle real-world challenges.

“For too long, the games industry has operated in its own silo, and other creative sectors have been missing out on its transformative potential,” said Brian Baglow, founder of the Scottish Games Network. 

“This event is designed to open up that conversation. We believe that by bringing these diverse communities together in a facilitated space, we can spark new ideas, unlock new collaboration opportunities, and build a more resilient and innovative creative economy for Scotland.”

The programme includes a series of provocations from industry leaders, followed by hands-on workshops, collaborative problem-solving sessions, and speed networking, with organisers aiming to deliver tangible outcomes – including a roadmap for future cross-sector projects and partnerships that can fuel future growth.

According to data from gaming industry trade body UKIE, the application of games technology in other sectors already contributes £1.3 billion in Gross Value Added (GVA) to the UK economy, complementing the sector’s £7 billion consumer market.

Recommended reading

• Scottish Games Sector Backed by New National Trade Body
• Edinburgh Games Developers Launch Legal Action Over Layoffs
• Stirling Uni Study Reveals Why Many Women Hide Their Gaming Habits

The summit is the first step in SGN’s More Than Games initiative, designed to unlock the potential of gaming innovation in addressing challenges across Scotland’s creative, cultural, and industrial sectors, with further events expected to follow.

“We are excited to support this event, which will help build collaborative networks and spark new ideas between creatives working across disciplines,” said Ashley Smith-Hammond, creative industries officer at Creative Scotland.

“Such support is part of our commitment to championing innovation in creative practices. The More Than Games initiative has the potential to drive significant cultural, social and economic value by helping us to support the interdisciplinary connections for creatives working across arts, technology and creative industries.”