Games And Innovation Nexus

Name: Discover more about the GAIN programme at the Guildford Games Festival 2025
Start: 2025-02-14
End: 2025-02-14
Location: G Live, Guildford

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GAIN Academic Directory GAIN at the University of Surrey GAIN at the University of Warwick GAIN at the University of Creative Arts

The Games and Innovation Nexus is creating new collaboration opportunities between our universities, the video games industry, and the wider CreaTech sector.

About Gain

The GAIN programme aims to connect capability between the two largest gaming clusters outside of London: Surrey (Guildford Games Cluster) and Warwickshire (Silicon Spa). The University of Surrey, in partnership with the University of Warwick and University of Creative Arts (UCA), will leverage GAIN to strengthen connection between the universities and games & CreaTech industry, foster collaboration and drive creativity and growth in the sector.

GAIN Objectives and Outputs

GAIN will foster innovation to support the thriving games clusters in Guildford and Leamington Spa to drive creativity and growth through catalysing connections:

GAIN connects academics and researchers with regional games studios, delivering projects that benefit from a collaborative, partnership approach.

GAIN connects our games and wider CreaTech ecosystems with funding that overcomes industry challenges, unlocking opportunity and growth.

GAIN connects the UK’s largest games clusters outside of London, nurturing innovation in games communities whilst investing in infrastructure and activities to promote growth and innovation.

GAIN will act as catalyst for regional cohesion, develop the innovation ecosystem and respond to industry challenges for the benefit of games and CreaTech companies regionally and nationally.

GAIN will lead to:

A key space for collaboration, incubation, R&D, and play through the University of Surrey’s Games Innovation Zone, supported by Surrey County Council.

Increased capacity of UCA’s established Games Incubation Studio.

A vibrant new home for Warwick’s Esports Centre.

A series of programmes including an Industry Challenge funding scheme and demonstrator products from academic projects.

A programme of events that connect academics with the games industry, stimulating collaboration and innovation.

A new diversified innovation model that bridges across academic research and an IP sensitive industry.

If you would like to discover more about how you might benefit from participating in the GAIN programme or collaborating with the University of Surrey, complete the form below.

Get involved with GAIN

GAIN Academic Collaborators Directory

We want to bolster the resilience and support the future growth the gaming and CreaTech clusters in Surrey and Warwickshire by leveraging the unique strengths of the University of Surrey, UCA, and the University of Warwick.

Our goal is to future-proof these sectors by connecting industry with world-leading academic experts ready to collaborate on cutting-edge R&D projects. Together we want to help companies solve challenges, explore new ideas, and drive innovation.

Our directory of academics is always being updated and our GAIN Knowledge Exchange Managers (University of Surrey: Ping; UCA: Lauren; University of Warwick: Dave) are ready to get the conversations started.

GAIN Programme Delivery

The GAIN programme is delivered by dedicated teams at the University of Surrey, the University for the Creative Arts, and the University of Warwick, with central coordination by GAIN Programme Manager, Dr Charlotte Frost.

If you’d like to connect with our mission, help shape our work, or find out how we can help you, please register your interest at the bottom of this page and the relevant team will get back to you.

14 February

G Live, Guildford