Abertay/TIGA deal

Abertay University has become the first Scottish University to join leading UK computer games trade association TIGA.

The move will open the doors for new collaborative research opportunities and further cements Dundee as one of the UK’s centres for computer games development.

Abertay will join TIGA’s Technology Group which sees members of the game development community such as Dundee’s Realtime Worlds, working closely with university research groups.

Abertay’s membership will benefit the industry by allowing the University to work closer with employers, ensuring that they are producing the type of graduates that industry needs. Students and graduates will benefit from closer links with industry, leading to enhanced employment opportunities.

The UK is the fourth largest developer of games in the world in terms of revenue generation, generating millions of pounds in exports for the UK and directly employing 10,000 people.

Abertay is already well known for its pre-eminence in computer games and computer arts, holding two of the four Skillset accreditations awarded so far in the UK. Abertay is also home to the BAFTA award winning, international computer game design competition ‘Dare to be Digital’.

Paul Durrant, Director of Business Development at Abertay said:

“Abertay is already well connected with industry through Dare to be Digital and numerous research initiatives. The TIGA technology group will support this valuable work and enable us to increase our knowledge transfer and prototyping benefits to the computer games industries.”

Richard Wilson, CEO of TIGA said:

“Abertay is an exceptional University, providing first class graduates for the games development industry. Abertay and TIGA will now work more closely to benefit its students and UK employers. This move further strengthens TIGA’s strategic involvement in the vibrant and successful Scottish games development sector.”

TIGA has also supported Abertay University's NESTA funded internship project where the interns participate on an induction programme with PhD researchers from Abertay's White Space Human Intelligent Virtual Environment (HIVE) research group, before going onto full time employment with various games developers.

Ends

Notes to editors:

1. Tiga is the national trade association that represents games developers in the UK and in Europe. We have 160 members, the majority of whom are either independent games developers or in-house publisher owned developers. We also have outsourcing companies, technology businesses and university departments that are members.

2. Tiga’s vision is to make the UK the best place in the world to do games business. We focus on three sets of activities: political representation, generating media coverage and developing services that enhance the competitiveness of our members. This means that Tiga members are effectively represented in the corridors of power, their voice is heard in the media and they receive benefits that make a material difference to their businesses, including a reduction in costs and improved commercial opportunities.

3. For further information about Tiga, please contact: Dr Richard Wilson, Tiga CEO on: 0845 0941095; Mob: 07875 939643; or: Email: richard.wilson@tiga.org.

4. For further information about Abertay University, please contact: Vicki White, T:01382 308935 M: 07837 250284 E: v.white@abertay.ac.uk