scottishgamesThe Golden Thread: Digital Health and Data Leaders Back Games Action Plan
The growing support for the future of Scotland’s games ecosystem has moved beyond the creative industries. In a significant move for the sector, the Digital Health & Care Innovation Centre (DHI) and The Data Lab have formally aligned with the Level Up Scotland Games Action Plan, highlighting its potential to transform the nation’s digital future.
A Cross-Sector Mandate
In an article published this week, the DHI identifies games technology as a ‘Golden Thread’ for Scotland’s digital mental health and therapeutic innovation. The analysis reinforces a core pillar of the five+ year R&D roadmap: that games are no longer just entertainment, but high-performance tools for social, creative and economic impact.
The DHI feature supports the publication of the Games Action Plan, noting that its focus on skills, innovation, and ecosystem support is vital to integrating games technology into healthcare.
The Report States:
For those working at the intersection of games, immersive technology and mental health, this moment matters. The Action Plan’s focus on skills, sustainable growth, responsible innovation and ecosystem support aligns closely with the needs of digital mental health developers, from serious games and therapeutic experiences to tools supporting prevention, engagement and recovery.
The Triple Helix of Innovation
This endorsement is supported by The Data Lab, Scotland’s innovation centre for data and AI. Welcoming the publication of the roadmap, Heather Thomson, CEO of The Data Lab, noted:
- The Data Lab welcomes the publication of Level Up Scotland: A National Action Plan for the Scottish Games Sector. Scotland’s games industry is a significant contributor to our economy and shares strong synergies with the data and AI ecosystem, consuming and producing vast amounts of data, developing techniques and talent, with demand for shared skillsets. This evidence-based Action Plan provides a framework to support sustainable economic impact, strengthen talent pipelines and unlock investment. We support the vision and ambition set out for the sector and its potential to drive wider innovation across Scotland’s data-driven and creative economy. –
This Triple Helix of support – Industry, Government-backed Innovation Centres, and Academic R&D – validates the Games Action Plan as the collective vision for a more connected, innovative, and collaborative Scotland.
From Vision to Enactment
The support from DHI and The Data Lab is not a call for more reviews; it is a call for collaboration and delivery. As the DHI article notes, the Action Plan provides the foundational strategy required to bridge the gap between game developers and health practitioners.
“This is exactly why we have spent years building this evidence base, says SGN CEO Brian Baglow. When we sit down with the Minister on 18 March, we aren’t just bringing an industry ask. We are bringing a cross-sectoral consensus supported by the very innovation centres the Scottish Government has built to drive our future.”
The Roadmap to March 18th
The Games Action Plan is the primary vision for the sector’s growth. With the backing of the health and data communities, the case for the Chief Games Officer, dedicated funding, a national focus on games skills and education, and the National Games Innovation Centre (NGIC) becomes ever more compelling.
We look forward to welcoming our colleagues from the DHI, The Data Lab, and the wider ecosystem to the Scottish Parliament’s cross-party group on games, on 18 March to move from strategic vision to national delivery.
If you’ve not yet read the Games Action Plan – or left a comment of support, you can do so here.
Photo by Alexander Sinn on Unsplash
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