Recent statistics from Dataspelsbranschen show strong growth among gaming companies in Skövde: 68 percent increase in turnover, 39 percent increase in profit, 44 percent more employees - and a 100 percent increase in women in the companies. Based on turnover, Skövde is Sweden's largest gaming development municipality after Stockholm.

The statistics were presented at the Sweden Game Conference, held on October 13-14 in Skövde. Johanna Nylander, representing the computer game industry, highlighted Skövde's development as a growth journey that stands out.

- Skövde has had a fantastic development last year. The success of Valheim has obviously been important, but several companies contribute to high turnover and a large profit margin. The number of employees is increasing and the number of women working in gaming has doubled. Many women in Skövde's gaming industry are found in smaller growing companies, which is a promising trend for the future," says Johanna Nylander, Head of Analysis at Dataspelsbranschen.

In 2021, there were 32 gaming companies in Skövde with a combined turnover of SEK 1,812 million, an increase of 68% compared to the previous year. The companies together made a profit of SEK 1,050 million, which is an increase of 39 percent from 2020. The number of employees in the gaming industry has also grown, from 198 in 2020 to 286 in 2021. 60 of these are women, compared to 30 women the year before. The proportion of women in Skövde's gambling companies thus grows from 15 percent to 21 percent.

- We in Skövde have worked to build up a gaming industry for over 20 years and these investments and efforts are bearing fruit with recurring gaming successes. We know and have it constantly confirmed that part of the success is our ecosystem around game development, with close cooperation between industry, academia, Region Västra Götaland and Skövde municipality. In addition, we have invested in building a strong community with the gaming industry's industrial network that brings together game enthusiasts and game players. This is unique in Sweden," says Kenneth Johansson, Vice President at Science Park Skövde, which runs Sweden Game Arena.

Initiatives for a more equal gaming industry

To attract more women, non-binary and transgender people to gaming education and, in the next step, to the gaming industry, several initiatives are being made in Skövde. These include the Donna network with members throughout the country, and the Donna Day conference, which this year brought together almost 200 people in Skövde. The agenda for the two-day conference was equality, inclusion and culture. The many investments in more diversity on the courses have led to an increase in the proportion of women from 10 percent when the course started to 30 percent today. This is far above the national average of around 19 percent.