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New partnership will bring together universities, industry and public bodies to support innovation, business growth and jobs across the Tay Cities region
A new partnership designed to drive innovation, create jobs and support business growth in the Tay Cities creative technology, design and digital sectors launches today (October 29) with the backing of £20 million funding from UK Research and Innovation (UKRI).
Led by Abertay University, the Tay Create Innovation Partnership brings together the region's three universities, industry leaders, public bodies and cultural organisations to build on internationally recognised strengths in creative technology, games, design and digital innovation.
Tay Create is funded by the UK Government as part of UKRI's £500m Local Innovation Partnerships programme to boost long-term economic growth potential in regions across the country.
The core partnership organisations include Abertay University, the University of Dundee, the University of St Andrews, V&A Dundee, Creative Scotland, Techscaler, Interface, UK Games Talent and Finance CIC, 4J Studios, Chroma Developments and Biome Collective.
This already mature ecosystem brings a diverse range of expertise and industry leadership and will focus on the Createch (creative skills/emerging technologies) and Games Technology spillover markets where new companies are combining human creativity with emerging technologies like AI, real-time 3D, extended realities and digital twins.
Addressing barriers that currently limit growth in the sector will be key to Tay Create's approach, including provision of access to prototyping facilities, innovation support, growth capital and specialist skills.
The partnership will set up a framework to support concept development, product innovation and commercialisation specific to existing creative technology industries like video games and virtual film production, while also encouraging the adoption of creative technologies across target sectors including manufacturing, health, energy and the wider digital economy.
Activities will operate from new purpose-built facilities at Camperdown Dock, Dundee with co-investment in the space coming from Chroma Developments.
Positioned adjacent to the existing Water's Edge development which already houses multiple games development studios and tech companies, the new site will support businesses, entrepreneurs and researchers at multiple stages of maturity, from early idea exploration and innovation diagnostics through to scale-up support.
A range of partnership-led catalyst events, growth programmes and investment engagements will build the momentum in the creative technology cluster by:
Supporting companies to navigate the creative technology ecosystem.
Providing a managed approach to connecting businesses to local, regional and national support.
Helping games and design-derived technologies to translate their expertise to linked markets.
Leading a commercialisation engine to support progression from prototype to adoption, investment and scale, with additional talent development support.
As the partnership progresses, Tay Create will link design expertise with technical and creative practice to develop innovative products and services, open new markets, and bring forward investment opportunities.
Functions often delivered separately, such as challenge framing, co-design, technical product build, user testing and adoption planning will be integrated into a single, cohesive system, ensuring innovations are technically robust, and grounded in user need, thereby strengthening confidence for adopters and investors.
The Tay Create partners will be supported in both delivery and governance by all four Tay Cities Region local authorities, with additional support coming from Scottish Enterprise. The launch of the partnership marks the start of Dundee Digital Fortnight with a series of activities scheduled to take place at Abertay University's cyberQuarter and other venues across the city.
Professor Ian Chapman, Chief Executive of UKRI said:
This latest Local Innovation Partnership is another example of how UKRI is collaborating with the UK’s world-renowned academic base, innovative companies, individuals, and local administrations. The Tay Cities region has a strong pedigree in the creative and technological industries, and this partnership will deliver real-world impact, advance knowledge, improve lives and drive growth.
Gregor White, Professor of Applied Creativity at Abertay University, said:
This significant investment is recognition of the outstanding creative, technological and research talent that already exist across the Tay Cities Region. Tay Create will provide the infrastructure, partnerships and innovation support needed to turn more great ideas into successful products, companies and jobs. Importantly, it will help ensure that the benefits of innovation are felt across our communities, our businesses and our wider economy.
Chris van der Kuyl, Chair of 4J Studios and founder of Chroma Developments said:
Tay Create will be transformational for the region, putting the right structure around our world class strengths in games, design, technology and digital innovation to turbo-charge the area's creativity. At Water's Edge we've already created an established hub for the ecosystem. Tay Create is about taking that to the next level by providing the expertise, leadership, support and facilities needed to turn new ideas and technologies into economic growth for the region.
Mel Woods, Professor of Creative Intelligence, University of Dundee said:
Design expertise will be central to ensuring that the innovations developed through Tay Create respond to real challenges today and as emerging technologies evolve, and deliver value for people, businesses and communities. By embedding design and futures thinking from the outset, we can help turn promising ideas into practical, inclusive products and services with genuine market potential.
Paul Durrant OBE, Founder and Chief Executive of Dundee-based UK Games Talent and Finance CIC said:
Scotland’s games sector thrives when creative talent has the right support to turn ambitious ideas into successful businesses. Tay Create will strengthen those connections, helping studios access expertise, investment and new opportunities for growth.
Dr Ozgur Akgun of the University of St Andrews said:
We are delighted to be adding computer science expertise to Tay Create as we seek to translate ambitious creative ideas into robust and scalable innovations. Tay Create will bring researchers and industry together to explore emerging technologies, develop new applications and unlock opportunities for economic growth across the Tay Cities Region.
Leonie Bell, Director of V&A Dundee said:
Design has a vital role to play in helping us all to imagine and create better futures. Through Tay Create we have an opportunity to connect and convene creativity, technology, culture and people in ways that strengthen cultural, civic and economic resilience while celebrating and supporting the extraordinary expertise that exists across this region.
Brian McNicoll, VP of Ecosystems at Techscaler Dundee said:
Scotland's technology ecosystem is strongest when entrepreneurs, researchers and industry work together. Tay Create will help create the conditions for more start-ups, more scale-ups and more collaboration across one of the country's most exciting innovation clusters.
Howell Davies, Head of Strategic Programmes at Interface said:
This represents an exciting opportunity to build on the region’s internationally recognised strengths in gaming, emerging technologies, and design. At Interface, we see first-hand the value that collaboration between businesses, universities and colleges brings in accelerating innovation. Together, the expertise, strengths, and resources of the partner organisations, alongside the wider regional ecosystem and support from UKRI, Tay Create will amplify opportunities for innovation, investment and enterprise bringing economic growth and long-term impact.
Malath Abbas, Co-Founder and Director, Biome Collective said:
Small and medium-sized creative businesses like Biome Collective play a vital role in Scotland’s creative economy. Tay Create is an exciting opportunity to bring together creative talent, industry and academia to collaborate, experiment and push the boundaries of what’s possible. By putting creativity at the heart of innovation, we can develop bold new ideas, unlock opportunities across sectors and demonstrate the incredible potential of our region.
The Local Innovation Partnerships Fund (LIPF) is a £500m UK Research and Innovation-led programme, funded by the UK Government. It empowers innovation leadership through local partnerships between civic institutions, business and universities.
Through co-creation with UKRI, partners identify and assemble activities that draw upon local research and innovation strengths and support the high potential innovation clusters within their region.
Tay Create was established through a competitive funding opportunity of up to £20 million made available for high-potential innovation clusters not covered by a previously earmarked regional award.
Abertay University's successful application to the LIPF follows on from the UKRI-funded InGAME (Innovation for Games and Media Enterprise) project and the current CoSTAR Realtime Lab project, also based at Water's Edge.
