University plan to boost Surrey's gaming sector

The University for the Creative Arts (UCA) in Surrey hopes to boost the gaming sector through its new initiative, PixelRise

A Surrey university is leading an initiative to boost the county's gaming sector.

The University for the Creative Arts (UCA) has launched PixelRise, a games development cluster funded by £1.5m of Research England funding.

PixelRise aims to raise industry standards, establish new studios and help to develop new talent.

A Surrey County Council (SCC) spokesperson said it was a "truly exciting time" for the county's games industry.

SCC has committed £240,000 to the project and collaborated with UCA to commission a report to understand the barriers and opportunities in the gaming world and how to attract growth in the area.

SCC councillor Matt Furniss said, "We have seen a huge amount of grant income coming into the county, particularly in the CreaTech sector, so it’s a truly exciting time for Surrey’s games industry."

Steve Cuss of The Game Plan Consultancy, the author of the report, said there was need for an initiative that "unites and unlocks" the potential of the region.

He said: "We believe that PixelRise provides this strategic solution, fostering an environment to address the challenges of the industry and take advantage of the massive potential in the cluster."

Some of the funding - which was awarded to UCA, the University of Surrey, and the University of Warwick - will soon be available to games developers, games studios, or people starting a job in the industry.

Sophy Smith, director of the School of Games & Creative Technology, said, the university would be "opening a call very soon" for people to apply for innovation vouchers.