project name: Game cluster growth & Partnership Initiative
The project aims to strengthen small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) within the games industry in Värmland and North Middle Sweden by developing their business maturity, investment readiness and organisational capacity. The region has a growing games industry with significant potential, but many companies lack the structures needed for scalable growth and access to capital.
The project provides tailored business development support based on each company’s stage of maturity, product and company validation, leadership and organisational development, and the development of investor networks. A particular focus is placed on promoting gender equality and broadening the entrepreneurial base. The goal is to create more sustainable and internationally competitive companies that contribute to a more diversified and knowledge-intensive business sector.
Objectives and Expected Results
The objective of the project is for SMEs within the games industry in Värmland and North Middle Sweden to strengthen their business maturity, investment readiness and organisational capacity, enabling more companies to achieve long-term growth and compete in the international market.
By the end of the project, at least:
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20 SMEs will have participated in tailored initiatives in business development, investment or leadership, of which 6 are owned and/or led by women.
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30% of these companies will have taken concrete steps forward in their development, for example through investment, establishment, international launch or increased revenue.
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10 new companies will have been established, of which 3 will have been founded by women.
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Two structured investor networks and working methods for providing maturity-based support will have been established and tested.
The project objective contributes to a more diversified and knowledge-intensive business sector and will be achieved by the end of the project through targeted initiatives aimed at companies.
The project addresses the challenge of strengthening the sustainable growth and competitiveness of small and medium-sized enterprises within the games industry, which is a priority area within Värmland’s smart specialisation strategy. The Värmland Strategy (Värmlandsstrategin) highlights the need for a more diversified and knowledge-intensive business sector, with more growing companies in emerging industries.
Experience from the project Game Changer (project information at the end of this page) shows that the region has a growing community of game studios with strong creative and technical expertise, but that many companies struggle to make the transition from an early-stage business to a scalable operation capable of competing in the international market.
This project represents the next step by focusing on business models, investment, leadership and organisational capacity. The goal is for more SMEs within the games industry to develop sustainable and scalable products and business models, contributing to increased competitiveness, more company establishments and a more diversified business sector in the region.
The project launched in August 2026 and will run through July 2029.
project name: SCORE
Five regional game clusters are joining forces to develop a shared digital incubation process and a prototype for a national Swedish accelerator program for game startups in early and growth stages. The initiative aims to provide more equitable opportunities for game entrepreneurs no matter where in the country they are based.
The effort is driven by Sweden’s regional game clusters: Sweden Game Arena in Skövde and Gothenburg, Game Habitat in Malmö, The Great Journey in Karlstad, Arctic Game in northern Sweden and Gameport in Karlshamn. It is carried out within the framework of the project SCORE (Sustainable COllaboration for inter Regional Excellence) and co-funded by the Swedish Agency for Economic and Regional Growth with a total budget of SEK 13.4 million.
“There is tremendous innovation potential in the Swedish games industry but the level of support for entrepreneurs varies significantly depending on where in the country you are. Sweden still lacks a nationally coordinated support structure for the sector. With SCORE we want to change that and build unified frameworks that help more teams succeed” says Marcus Toftedahl, Business Developer at Sweden Game Arena.
Learning from each other
Sweden is a global leader in game development with a total industry turnover exceeding SEK 90 billion in 2023. The sector is made up of 97% small and medium sized studios - an ecosystem with unique needs that must be addressed. The Swedish government has identified cultural and creative industries including games as a new foundational industry. This digital incubator initiative is one concrete step toward building sustainable infrastructure aligned with the sector’s current landscape.
“The project represents a crucial step toward shaping a national strategy for the video game industry – something Sweden currently lacks. By taking an active role, Värmland aims to support national efforts that will secure and strengthen Sweden’s position as a global leader and trailblazer in the industry,” says Patrick Standfast, co-founder of The Great Journey.
Inclusive structures
The initiative also tackles one of the games industry’s biggest barriers to growth: access to capital. Many investors lack knowledge of games specific business models and unconscious bias can limit investment in companies founded by women and nonbinary individuals. SCORE addresses both issues by strengthening investor awareness and equipping the regional clusters with tools to build more inclusive support systems.
“SCORE enables us to offer more targeted support to young teams with strong potential and help more of them move from idea to startup and beyond. The fact that gender equality is integrated into every part of the project makes it even more impactful” says Jenny Brusk, Business Developer at Sweden Game Arena and founder of DONNA.
SCORE also helps ensure that Sweden remains globally competitive in game development by strengthening studios at an early stage and reducing the risk of valuable IPs being sold abroad. At the same time the project establishes collaborations at the European level to build a more resilient games industry beyond Sweden’s borders.
The project will launch in September 2025 and run through November 2028. The total budget is SEK 13.4 million and it is co-funded by the Swedish Agency for Economic and Regional Growth.
Definition of Games
In this context, games refers to all types of interactive digital entertainment excluding gambling.
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project name: framtidslänken
A coordinating hub for regional STEM expertise
Framtidslänken Värmland brings together schools, academia, and industry to strengthen the region's STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics) talent supply. Värmland faces a major challenge when it comes to skills supply in so-called STEM occupations - jobs related to science, technology and mathematics.
Among technology companies, 75 percent report a shortage of qualified personnel. Dropout rates from STEM education programmes, limited knowledge of career pathways, and weak links between education and working life make it more difficult to meet the demand for skills.
Framtidslänken Värmland addresses these challenges by creating a cohesive regional structure for inspiration, guidance and collaboration.
Framtidslänken Värmland is led by the Compare Foundation in collaboration with Paper Province, Glava Energy Center, The Great Journey and Framtidsfrön, with funding from Region Värmland.
The aim is to serve as a coordinating hub that connects schools, academia and industry at the right points throughout the education journey, creating earlier, clearer and more cohesive encounters with science, technology and mathematics. This includes reaching young people in primary and secondary education. Research and experience show that interest in STEM fields is already shaped during lower secondary school.
By coordinating organisations and initiatives, STEM education and careers are made more accessible and easier to understand – before crucial educational choices are made. The work aligns with Värmland’s STEM strategy and the region’s long-term goals for skills supply.
PREVIOUS PROJECTS
Gamechanger – a sustainable, inclusive and attractive gaming ecosystem in Värmland
The project aimed to develop the newly spawned gaming industry in Värmland by supporting game companies and game developers looking to set up their own business.
The project did this by giving support in the following fields: attracting talent, business and game development, offering an inspiring environment, activities and events, internationalization, legal support on intellectual properties, leadership, collaborating with cultural and creative industries, gamification, create a accelerator program, create a structure for the initiative The Great Journey and look at education and research with in gaming.
The project aimed to address current and future societal challenges, both in the computer games industry and other sectors, by promoting democracy, technology and method transfer for increased digitalisation and games to enable, for example, learning and skills development.
The project also seeks to strengthen the community of game developers, companies, computer game actors and others active in the industry. Gamechanger project also collaborated with other game clusters and initiatives as a way to enhance the learnings and reach the goal of a sustainable gaming industry in the region.
Project goals
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At the end of the project there will be an accelerator programme for gaming companies. A permanent support structure for small and medium sized business in the gaming industry. This structure will supports companies and bring together the regional games industry.
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10 new companies whereof three are founded by women.
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Investments made in game companies and one game selling more than 100 000 units.
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10 companies presenting their products to a global audience.
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The project contributes to increase Gender Equality in the games industry and the region and supports a more sustainable Consumption and Production. It also aims to Reduce Inequality.