Tuomas Roininen, Chairman of the Board at Expa Game Business Co-operative tells:
- About 10 % of Finnish games companies are located in Jyväskylä. These 30 games companies employ about 150 people. Most of them are so-called micro-companies with a couple of employees who work at home offices and for them, a communal, collaborative workplace brings new dimensions and opportunities. A true collaboration with a multidisciplinary network of operators create know-how, entrepreneurship and new business opportunities up to international markets. Also esports is growing fast and need quick actions and extensive cooperation in Jyväskylä.
On the digital side, there are plenty of big ICT-companies in the city. The industry has though suffered from worker and coder shortage, and the Center is also expected to have a positive impact on this. Expa Game Business Co-operative - Jyväskylä Game Industry Hub will be responsible for the operations of the Digi & Game Center in Jyväskylä. Expa and Jykia Ltd. are now looking widely for interested players in the field to the center. The aim is to have most of the tenants by mid-September. The activities will start on 1.1.2020.
Also the Information Technology Degree Program’s at JAMK University of Applied Sciences’ School of Business’ will operate at the Center, as well as the game development laboratories for game developers and e-sports coaching. In addition, the Centre's premises are leased to gaming and digitalization companies. The Center also hosts games and digital events which are open to all.
The premises will be located in Matarankatu 2 in the former premises of Buildercom Ltd. and Jydacom Ltd. The main tenant of the premises is Jykia Ltd (the real estate development company owned by the City of Jyväskylä, Laukaa and Muurame municipalities).
- We are also looking for sponsors for the center, in other words actors and organisations who want to support the development of the game industry in Jyväskylä, says Project Manager Hanna Hauvala from Jamk. The sponsor will be eligible for an investment of € 2,500 - € 10,000 and will visibly be part of and contribute to the Centre's activities.
More information:
Hanna Hauvala, Project Manager, JAMK, hanna.hauvala(at)jamk.fi, +358 40 576 9174
Tuomas Roininen, Chairman of the Board, Expa, tuomas.roininen(at)expa.fi, +358 50 380 0991
The Digi & Game Center will be launched as part of the Sustainable Digi & Game Ecosystem project. The project is funded by Regional Council of Central Finland from European Regional Development Fund, BusinessJyväskylä and Fingersoft: www.jamk.fi/fi/Tutkimus-ja-kehitys/projektit/sustainable-digigame-ecosystem/
Expa Game Business Co-operative - Jyväskylä Game Industry Hub is an open regional community for game makers, researchers, students, teachers, events or other people and organizations in Jyväskylä and Central Finland. Expa is dedicated to the success of the gaming industry in the Jyväskylä region and is official IGDA Finland Jyväskylä Hub in Central Finland. www.expa.fi
