Towards a European Game Industry Support Strategy

With the slogan “Towards a European Game Industry Support Strategy”, the Games Policy Summit at this year’s Nordic Game conference brings together policymakers, industry experts, and stakeholders to discuss the regulatory landscape and policy implications affecting our industry. We invite submissions offering insights into policy frameworks, funding mechanisms, and strategic initiatives to strengthen the European gaming ecosystem.

The influential, comprehensive report from last year’s Games Policy Summit at Nordic Game is available here.

The Games Policy Summit 2025 on 20 May at NG25 Spring in Malmö, Sweden, now aims to inspire a comprehensive framework to support innovation, investment, and market expansion in the European gaming sector. We focus on financial incentives, technological advancements and also cross-sector collaboration, such as synergies between gaming technologies and defense applications.

Themes and Suggested Topics

 

PUBLIC SUPPORT: Analysis of Game Industry Public Support Strategies in different countries.

• Comparative SWOT analysis of national policies supporting the gaming sector.
• SWOT analysis of EU markets.
• Evaluating tax incentives versus direct funding for industry growth in member states.

 

PRIVATE FUNDING: Financial and Investment Strategies

• Banks, investment funds and individual private investment in public-private partnerships.
• EU-level originated financial risk mitigation and security schemes for developers.
• Best practices for harmonizing support measures for financial intermediaries (e.g. banks, VC funds) across member states.

 

EUROPEAN TECHNOLOGICAL AND ARTISTIC SOVEREIGNTY: Platforms, Networks and Communities supporting technological development

• European infrastructure, technology platforms and tools for game development and distribution.
• Policies supporting community-driven innovation in Europe.
• Encouraging IP generation through innovative funding policies.

 

REGULATORY MARKET ACCESS BARRIERS: Support, Hindrance or Fragmentation through Existing and Proposed Regulation

• Innovation in business models, government bans and other game-changers.
• Protection of minors, solutions to overcome global regulatory fragmentation and coherence of systems for compliance with new requirements.
• Digital tax, trade wars and other uncertainties in the global digital market.
• Industry studies enabling by models, data and NACE-codes.

 

MILITARY GAMES: Gaming Technologies in Defense

• Applications of AI, VR, and gamification in military training.
• Opportunities for collaboration between gaming and defense sectors.
• Case studies on gaming technologies enhancing defense capabilities.

 

MARKET ACCESS: Promoting European Games and Market Expansion

• Strategies to connect European games with local and European audiences.
• Public support for audience building, prominence and other marketing strategies.
• Strengthening distribution channels within the EU with AI.

 

Submission Guidelines

We welcome contributions from academics, policymakers and industry professionals providing theoretical insights and practical recommendations in the areas indicated, but we are open also to other proposals with a clear focus on policy-making and industrial strategy.

Submissions can include:

• An abstract (300-500 words).
• A full paper (5,000-8,000 words).

All submissions must include:

• Slides for a 5 minute presentation on the chosen subject.

Selected contributions may, in addition to being presented at the Games Policy Summit 2025, also be featured in a policy report or industry white-paper. Selected contributions may also be invited to the main program of Nordic Game. If your contribution is not selected for presentation, you will still be very welcome to participate.

Submission deadline is 2 May, please sign up here.

Please note, a pass registration for NG25 Spring is mandatory.

Participation Guidelines

We welcome sign-ups from also from other, and industry professionals, policymakers and academics interested in contributing to the discussion, but not proposing an own presentation.

Sign-up deadline is 2 May, please sign up here.

Please note, a pass registration for NG25 Spring is mandatory.

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About the Nordic Game conference

Nordic Game is the leading games conference in Europe. Gathering thousands of industry professionals in the spring each year, Nordic Game is the one and only “home turf” meeting place for the highly successful game developers of Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden.

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