From student projects to international successes, game development has become an integral part of Skövde's identity. The secret? A strong community where everyone supports each other and where new ideas have room to grow.

One of the driving forces in the community is Tau Petersson, destination developer at Next Skövde and Community Overlord in Sweden Game Arena, a collaborative platform that brings together University of Skövde, Science Park Skövde, the municipality and the local gambling industry.

An ecosystem that drives development

- We are at the forefront thanks to the collaboration and sustained commitment. We have built a strong foundation and are now seen as a role model by other gaming clusters," says Tau.

The community covers the entire chain: From the more than 500 students in computer games at the University of Skövde, via startups in Science Park's program, to the established companies that put Skövde on the world map.

Activities that build networks

An important part of this work is to create contexts where people can meet. To strengthen cohesion, several different activities are organized, including:

• Game developer pub - open after work where everyone in the community can make new contacts.
• Play My Game - a stage for developers to showcase their projects and get valuable feedback.
• Game testing at the university - an activity where professional developers give students insights into their ongoing projects.
• Startup Night - an introduction to entrepreneurship for students, with inspiration from local game developers.
• Dev-fika - an exchange of knowledge over coffee between game developers with the same roles in different companies.
• CEO lunches - network meetings for game company managers together with Sweden Game Arena and the University of Skövde.

All these forums contribute to a strong network where experiences, ideas and knowledge are shared, which in turn creates the basis for new successes.

Sweden Game Conference - the highlight of the year

The biggest meeting place is the Sweden Game Conference (SGC), which brings together the entire community, from students to industry professionals from all over the world.

- With pitch events, fairs, career focus and lectures on several stages, SGC puts Skövde on the map as one of Europe's most exciting places for game development, says Tau Petersson.

In Skövde, game development is part of the city's soul. Here creativity, education and entrepreneurship meet and together we take the game to the next level. Well played, Skövde.

Read more about the gambling industry in Skövde on skovde.com >>