A new open innovation competition is looking to support Scottish firms working in the games and immersive experience sectors.

The InGAME competition is a co-production between the organisation, StoryFutures Academy and leading inclusive design and innovation agency, Open Inclusion.

A winning small-to-medium enterprise (SME) will be funded to join the Inclusive Design Accelerator to develop and create inclusive design practices.

The aim of the InGAME competition is to widen their audience by making experiences more accessible and enjoyable for people living with disabilities. Applications close on the 14th of March 2022.

After pitching, one Scottish SME will be chosen as the winner and will receive £35,000 to enter the Inclusive Design Accelerator.

This eight-week programme will support the company to embed inclusive design and innovation practices within existing and or near-market IP.

Additionally, the winner will receive mentorship support from Open Inclusion with on-demand R&D expertise from the world-class team at InGAME.

Up to five Scottish SMEs will be selected and funded to participate in a four-day Inclusive Innovation Lab. The aim of the lab is to rapidly upskill firms in the practice of inclusive design and innovation.

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Commenting on the news, Dr Chris Lowthorpe, Head of Collaborative R&D at InGAME, said: “A growing number of UK game and immersive content creators want to widen their audience and market by creating more open and accessible experiences. But most lack the specific competencies to do so.

“This competition will empower participating SMEs to develop the required inclusive design and innovation knowledge, skills and networks.

“Many people living with disabilities are excluded from fully enjoying immersive experiences. We want this competition to raise awareness of the importance of inclusive design and innovation, ultimately delivering more accessible immersive experiences that are fun and engaging for everyone.”

InGAME, a £11.5 million research and development centre based within the Dundee video games cluster, is led by Abertay University and runs in partnership with the University of Dundee, the University of St Andrews, and local and international partners.

Lowthorpe continued: “In the UK alone, over one in five people have a disability. The ‘purple pound’ – the spending power of disabled people – is estimated to be worth over £274 billion but businesses lose approximately £2 billion a month by overlooking the needs of disabled people.

“The Inclusive Design for Immersive Experiences Challenge aims to change this for immersive content creators.”

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