We proudly hosted the DIGIAGE 2.0 Forum as the multiplier event of the DIGIAGE Game Development and Coding Academy 2021-2-TR01-KA220-YOU-000051441 Erasmus+ project, organized by Bilişim Vadisi, and as the closing event of the project. This event marked an important milestone, bringing together policymakers and game developers to shape the future of the game development industry.
The event was organized under the auspices of the Ministry of Industry and Technology, with opening speeches delivered by Muhammet Bilal Macit, General Manager of R&D Incentives at the Ministry of Industry and Technology, and Erkam Tüzgen, General Manager of Bilişim Vadisi. Emre Yıldız, Director of DIGIAGE, detailed the company’s future goals and strategic orientations. This was followed by a conversation with Mustafa Keçeli, Fund Manager at APY Ventures, who provided insights into future funding strategies for the gaming ecosystem.
In the second session, ways for Turkey’s IT sector to be more effective in the global arena were discussed. Ali Burak Boztaş from the Ministry of Trade introduced internationalization strategies and the E-TURQUALITY Program. Additionally, Ali Şenlikci, International Projects Manager of Bilişim Vadisi, presented the policy document resulting from the project. Participants’ opinions on the findings of the policy document were gathered through questionnaires.
In the DIGIAGE Investment Adventure session, moderated by Ecosystem Development Specialist Rabia Nart, two teams that had previously participated in DIGIAGE camps shared their experiences, discussing the processes and challenges they faced in their entrepreneurial journey, which they began with the knowledge gained during the camp.
In the final session, titled “New Route in Turkey’s Game Ecosystem,” a panel discussion was held with panelists who were members of the DIGIAGE game ecosystem, game development-focused academics, founders of various NGOs, and private sector representatives. The panel explored what the future course of game development in Turkey should look like.
Erkam Tüzgen, General Manager of Bilişim Vadisi, emphasized that DIGIAGE is the first and only game acceleration program from Turkey. He stated that the program was launched and implemented in Turkey, then in Azerbaijan, and will soon be introduced in the Balkans. Tüzgen noted that with this program, Turkey has emerged as a country offering acceleration programs worldwide. As a pioneer in the sector, they are growing stronger every day.
Emre Yıldız, Director of DIGIAGE, stated that they have reached more than 18,000 game developers by organizing eight game development camps and have established over 200 teams through these camps. Emphasizing that 25 of these teams have entered the incorporation stage at Bilişim Vadisi, Yıldız highlighted that their main motivation is to be global. He added that, thanks to this experience, they are now equipped to organize camps in other countries and train hundreds of young people. Addressing issues in gaming education, Yıldız noted that they organize DIGIAGE camps to make these trainings more accessible and aim to provide the technological infrastructure of DIGIAGE to those with limited access to technology, thereby reducing inequality of opportunity in technology.
Ali Burak Boztaş, Trade Specialist from the Ministry of Trade, participated in the forum and explained Turkey’s internationalization strategies. Boztaş shared details of the E-TURQUALITY Program with the participants, explaining how this program will help the gaming industry gain more traction in the international arena. E-TURQUALITY stands out as a strategic initiative aimed at making Turkish game companies competitive in global markets.
As the closing event of the Erasmus+ project, the forum provided a crucial foundation for developing a policy document for the gaming ecosystem. The project addressed key themes such as youth empowerment, diversity and inclusion, sustainable development, and the future of digital skills. The forum produced a comprehensive policy paper on the critical challenges and opportunities in the game development sector. This document is the result of broad collaboration between project participants and the strategy plans and valuable recommendations from the policymakers who attended the event.
