The development of the esports sector and the utilisation of business potential in Central Finland require extensive cooperation between research and educational institutions and business life. With the esports cluster of expertise, a network of experts will be created in the region, whose activities can be used to develop the capabilities and competence related to the esports sector and promote the growth of research and development activities.
The Central Finland eSports Competence Cluster project builds a cluster of local expertise and multidisciplinary professionals in cooperation with educational institutions in Central Finland and the Finnish Institute of High Performance Sport KIHU KIHU. The aim of the project is to activate local SMEs and operators to participate in developing county-wide esports expertise and competitiveness, as Central Finland has the potential to become known as an esports region.
The main implementer of the project is the Jamk University of Applied Sciences. During the project, Jamk will focus on bringing local experts to the e-sports industry and creating meeting places between business life and research related to the field. In addition to research, the co-implementers focus on promoting RDI and service business, building player paths related to e-sports, and piloting various event environments. Regional esports expertise and the results generated during the project will be made visible through active networking, events and a published website.
"During the project, we will continue the significant esports development work we started in 2019 in Central Finland. Now we are investing especially in cooperation and networking between SMEs and research and educational institutions, regardless of the sector. This will accelerate business and RDI openings in the esports sector and support the growth of the sector," says Tuomas Rauhansalo, Project Manager of the competence cluster at Jamk University of Applied Sciences.
The University of Jyväskylä also plays a strong role in building the centre of expertise. "One of the concrete measures of the project will be scientific and applied research, the results of which will be stored in a concrete and easily usable form. This structured information on the different areas of esports business supports companies in the region in developing their business and RDI activities," say University Research Coordinator Matti Leppäniemi and University Lecturer Tommi Auvinen.
The operations of the competence cluster will begin concretely on 6 September 2023, when operators from Central Finland interested in the field will be invited to gather for the project's first networking event on the main campus of Jamk University of Applied Sciences, the GamePit Pro game space.
The Central Finland eSports Competence Cluster is a nationally significant entity where new expertise is also created in student interfaces through cooperation between research and educational institutions and companies. Through the activation of the centre of expertise, new research and RDI openings as well as investments related to the field will accelerate the growth of the sector and increase its credibility.
