Hello World!: Scottish Students Startup Summit Aims To Ignite The Next Generation of Games and Tech Entrepreneurs
The Scottish Games Network Ltd., in partnership with the University of Glasgow’s Games & Gaming Lab (UofGGamesLab) and the Scottish Games Education Network (SGEN), is thrilled to announce the inaugural Hello World! Scottish Students Startup Summit, addressing a key question facing all young innovators:
“Is starting my own games business in Scotland right for me?”
Proudly supported by the Scottish Government’s Ecosystem Fund, the one-day event is set to take place on Monday, March 2, 2026, at the state-of-the-art Mazumdar-Shaw Advanced Research Centre (ARC) Building at the University of Glasgow. The summit will bring together 200 undergraduate and postgraduate students, recent graduates, and young people from across Scotland’s universities and colleges, studying games and adjacent technology sectors, linking them with representatives from education, enterprise, business, industry, and policymaking.
The announcement comes as new research from TIGA reveals undergraduate enrolment in UK games and animation courses has skyrocketed by 279% over the last decade, creating a massive, highly skilled talent pool that urgently requires entrepreneurial pathways. Hello World! is the perfect response, fulfilling the industry’s stated need for commercial and entrepreneurial skills.
The summit is designed to break down barriers to entrepreneurship, particularly for underrepresented groups and individuals transitioning from education, by providing practical skills, direct access to business support, and critical networking opportunities.
Hello World! will offer space for all of the startup, entrepreneurial and business support organisations across Scotland and the UK, the chance to showcase their services and meet the next generation of games entrepreneurs.
Educators, lecturers and heads of course/programme are also welcome to let them meet the business support organisations and ensure they have the contacts and context to help student entrepreneurs of the future.
Crucially, thanks to Ecosystem funding, the summit will also provide transport options to the venue and will incorporate an online/remote participation channel to ensure inclusion for students from remote areas, excluded communities, or those with accessibility needs.
“Our goal is to create the kindling for Scotland’s future creative and digital economies,” said Brian Baglow, the CEO of Scottish Games Network. “The Hello World! Summit is an essential new event, bridging the gap between education, academic achievement and commercial reality. We’re not just offering inspiration; we’re providing a hands-on day to help our potential new entrepreneurs. We’re planning a co-founder finder session, direct access to every major support organisation they need to turn a brilliant idea into a sustainable – or even scalable – Scottish startup.”
Business Minister Richard Lochhead said: “Scotland’s future economy will be shaped by the creativity and ambition of our young people, and I’m delighted that our Ecosystem Fund is supporting this event for Scotland’s future founders, helping develop the key business skills that will turn visions into the high-growth start-ups of the future.
Scotland’s gaming industry is experiencing extraordinary growth that demonstrates our nation’s capacity for innovation and entrepreneurship, and this dedicated initiative for the next generation of games and creative industry entrepreneurs will help continue this success.”
“We greatly appreciate the opportunity to host the Hello World! Summit at the University of Glasgow, sharing its vision to inspire and prepare a new generation of young talent across Scotland to contribute, adapt to, and innovate within a rapidly changing future world of games development,” said Dr Tim Peacock, Director of the UofGGamesLab.
Co-Director of UofGGamesLab, Dr Matthew Barr, said: “I’m pleased to see how the theme of the event – supporting aspiring developers to establish their own business – directly addresses one of the challenges we identified in the 2022 Scottish Games Ecosystem report. It is critical that would-be games entrepreneurs are equipped with the skills and knowledge required to succeed in business, and this is something that isn’t talked about enough.”
“The Summit will transform the Scottish games ecosystem and increase the diversity of entrepreneurs and start-ups. There certainly isn’t a shortage of talent or ambition in Scotland, but the current systems are failing to support everyone to thrive. The capacity building and networking activities will be a ‘game-changer’ to enable students in underrepresented and marginalised communities to feel visible, valued, and empowered. We’re excited to provide a platform to amplify diverse talents and foster new connections, unlocking the next steps for success for many and not just the few,” said Dr Mark Wong, Co-Director of the UofGGamesLab.
Call for Participation: Students & Graduates
Students and recent graduates from all Scottish institutions are invited to register their interest now. The summit will feature:
- Inspirational Keynotes from successful Scottish games and tech founders.
- Hands-on Workshops covering how to start your own studio: from legal basics, and business plan development, to pitching, funding pathways and mentoring.
- The Innovation Centre for games and idea validation, prototyping and constructive feedback.
- A dedicated “Find a Co-founder” session to forge new partnerships.
Call for Sponsorship & Partnership
The Hello World! Summit offers unique opportunities for corporations, investors, and public sector organisations to align their brand with the future of Scottish innovation. With core support from the Scottish Government’s Ecosystem Fund, additional sponsorship is being sought to expand the scale of the event, invite more potential entrepreneurs from remote areas and excluded communities, create dedicated one-to-one follow-up sessions with support organisations, capture video from across the whole event for use in colleges, universities and careers support and to establish a dedicated online space for potential entrepreneurs to find and help from support organisations.
Opportunities range from Title Sponsorship to supporting specific elements, including the Innovation Centre, specific workshops, dedicated exhibition space and speaker opportunities. Interested partners are invited to contact the organisers immediately to secure their place in this landmark event: [email protected].
Explore sponsor details here.
Event Details:
What: Hello World! The Scottish Students Startup Summit
When: Monday, March 2, 2026
Where: Mazumdar-Shaw Advanced Research Centre (ARC) Building, University of Glasgow
Target Audience: Students, recent graduates, and young people studying, or recently graduated from games and associated courses (audio, animation, etc.)
Register Your Interest Now:
Whether you’re a student, recent graduate, educator, academic, or from industry, to let us know you’re interested in attending or taking part in Hello World!, please register your details here.
About the Organisers:
Scottish Games Network: The Scottish Games Network (SGN) is Scotland’s ecosystem builder for the games sector. Founded in 2004. SGN works to connect, support, and grow the sector by delivering high-impact initiatives, including Scottish Games Week, the National Games Action Plan, and the More Than Games initiative. SGN leverages its digital platform to showcase the sector’s global potential and foster strategic collaboration across the nation’s games, creative and technology landscape.
University of Glasgow’s Games & Gaming Lab (UofGGamesLab): is a leading cross-disciplinary research lab, fostering academic, community and industry partnerships, developing and using physical or digital games in research, training and engagement, with organisations from the United Nations to St Giles’ Cathedral.
Scottish Games Education Network (SGEN): works to connect education providers and industry stakeholders to ensure a strong pipeline of talent.
Scottish Government Ecosystem Fund: The Scottish Government’s Ecosystem Fund supports projects that contribute to the growth and development of Scotland’s entrepreneurial ecosystem. The fund is part of a broader Scottish Government programme aimed at creating a more inclusive and dynamic entrepreneurial landscape, allowing more people to start, grow and scale businesses.
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