The gaming industry should be Denmark’s next export adventure

Sponsored: This article is made in collaboration with Danish Chamber of Commerce.

---

Denmark is the hotbed of iconic game classics like the Hitman series as well as the world’s most used game engine, Unity. But the Danish gaming industry is much more than that. In recent years, we have seen high growth numbers; the industry grew as much as 80 percent from 2019 to 2020. If we do it right, the potential is even greater and can really boost Danish exports:

Danish Producers’ Association: Huge potential attracts foreign investors

The huge potential has made many foreign investors travel to Denmark to meet the promising games companies. This is clearly shown by the interest in the annual industry event Copenhagen Matchup. Among the over 80 investors and game publishers who eagerly tried to strike a great deal last year were major global players such as Nintendo, Microsoft and Ubisoft.

Foreign investors making capital available for companies to grow and develop is obviously great. But if we want the companies to establish themselves in Denmark, it will be advantageous to have more Danish inventors involved in the gaming industry – especially in the early stages.

“We hope more Danish investors will realise the opportunities that exist in the gaming industry. Especially a large player like The Danish Growth Fund. Unfortunately, it seems that the Growth Fund is hampered by a more traditional approach to investing. We are in dialogue with them about this and have strongly encouraged them to get involved in the gaming industry’s growth potential,” Charlotte Enevoldsen, Deputy Director of the Danish Producers’ Association says.

Vision Denmark: We need to speak up for the gaming industry

Traditionally, there has been a lot of focus on the film and music industry when it comes to the creative professions. And there are a lot of great, Danish films and music albums, but we need to recognize the many talents who help create games at the highest, international level as well – especially from a political point of view.

“There is no doubt that game development is a Danish position of strength. We have seen several major foreign acquisitions and investments aimed at Danish games companies – especially during the past 12 months,” Jan Neiiendam, CEO of the business cluster Vision Denmark says and adds:

“This position can undoubtedly be further strengthened with the right frameworks and conditions. This way, we can anticipate the challenges, like green transition and recruitment, that are already lurking on the horizon – which are precisely some of the areas we work with at Vision Denmark.”

Danish Chamber of Commerce: It is also about the business climate

Talent shortage is a major theme across industries, but in the gaming industry the shortage is nothing new. For many years, it has been difficult to hire enough developers, and the opportunity to bring in IT specialists from abroad is limited by the current rules.

“At Danish Chamber of Commerce, we believe that the gaming industry provides a window into some of the challenges that many companies struggle with. Among other things, it is far too difficult to find enough suitable developers, and there is lacking a closer connection between the Danish gaming educations and the real needs that the companies have,” Ulla Rønberg, chief consultant at Danish Chamber of Commerce, says.