The city held its first municipal league e-sports between neighborhoods, fostering technological innovation and citizen participation.
Valencia continues to make progress in its commitment to technological innovation and the creation of quality jobs in emerging sectors. The mayor of the city, María José Catalá, accompanied by the minister of Innovation, Tourism and attract Investment, Paula Llobet, officially opened the space Valencia Game City in The Flour, an ambitious project that positions the capital of the Turia as a benchmark in the gaming industry and e-sports in the Mediterranean.
This new center, located in the historic building of The Flour, aims to attract foreign investment, the support of international projects and to consolidate the local talent, acting as a centre of innovation in the area of gaming. In addition to fostering creativity and entrepreneurship, Valencia Game City seeks to promote a series of values that are linked to technology and sustainability, supporting the inclusion of women in a sector traditionally dominated by men, and connecting with other strategic sectors such as tourism and health.
The first municipal league e-sports
During the opening ceremony, the mayor announced the launch of the first municipal league e-sports in Valencia, in the neighborhoods and districts of the city, they will compete in organized tournaments. “Valencia will be held for the first time a municipal league e-sports in which the different districts will compete, with the end that will generate a competition vibrant in the city,” he explained Catalá. In addition, it stressed that this project not only seeks to promote competition, but also to generate content linked to well-being and health, alluding to how the technological development in the field of video games can have a positive impact on various areas of the society.
A cluster of innovation for the future of gaming
The project Valencia Game City it is not limited to the holding of tournaments, but that is intended to be a reference space for the creation and acceleration of startups (startups) in the sector of video games, the gamification and virtual reality. As explained by the mayor, "the opening of this space is a fundamental step in our strategy to strengthen the technology industry, and in particular, the gaming, a sector that is growing at a great speed, and that has a huge potential, both to the local and international level".
Currently, the space is home to 30 emerging companies dedicated to the development of video games and related technologies, but the aim is that by the end of 2025, this figure will double, reaching the 60 startups. These companies have an environment designed to foster innovation and growth, and with support for internationalization and access to new markets.
"The Flour is converted into a physical cluster to the area of gaming and technology. This space will be an accelerator for start-ups, helping them to grow and expand internationally," said Catalá, further highlighting that the Valencian Community has an ecosystem of high-skilled professionals in areas such as music, graphic design, and programming, all of them essential for the development of the game industry.
The promotion of equality and the presence of women in the sector
One of the highlights of the speech of the mayor was its focus on gender equality within the video game industry. Catalá highlighted the 48% of people working in this sector in the Valencian Community are women, a figure that reflects the growing presence of women in a field that has historically been dominated by men.
In this sense, the mayor mentioned that one of the first startups that will be installed in Valencia Game City is a company founded by women, which merges the world of gaming with the tourism, exploring new ways of connecting both industries. "It is critical to continue betting on the female talent and ensuring that women continue to occupy an important place in this industry," he said.
Innovative spaces and collaboration with local entities
The inauguration of Valencia Game City it was accompanied by a tour of the facilities, which have several spaces dedicated to innovation and experimentation in the world of video games. Among them is the Space COMPUTER ProGamingdesigned for training and high-level competition in e-sports, and the Space Simulation Racingin collaboration with the Ricardo Tormo Circuit, which will develop innovative projects in simulation racing (Sim Racing), a discipline booming that combines the passion for motor sports with the most advanced technology.
Also, are presented the Space Projects Incubatoraimed at the acceleration of startups in gaming, virtual reality and gamification, as well as a Exhibition of Digital Art and a display theme that explores the relationship between the artistic legacy of Sorolla and video games, co-ordinated by the artist Maria Tinoco.
Day professional
The event culminated with a day of business in the that there were a number of round table discussions focused on the importance of video games to the health and well-being. Industry experts discussed how the technology applied to the gaming can improve the quality of life of the people, as well as the opportunities it provides for personal and professional development. In addition, we presented the Plan Internationalisation Support for game companies of valencia, a project that seeks to facilitate the entry of these companies into global markets.
Valencia Innovation Capital
The project Valencia Game City part of the strategy Valencia Innovation Capitaldriven by the Department of Innovation, which aims to convert to Valencia on a city's dynamic, diverse and creative, a leader in the field of technological innovation in the Mediterranean. This strategy promotes public-private collaboration, and seeks to generate employment of high-skill, promote technological entrepreneurship and solve real problems of the city through the innovation.
"Our goal is to create an ecosystem of innovation close, effective, and have a direct impact on the lives of the people. With Valencia Game Citywe give a further step to consolidate to Valencia as a benchmark in the field of technology and the video game," concluded the mayor Catalá.
In short, Valencia Game City emerges as a key project for the technological development of the city, with a focus on innovative, inclusive and future-oriented.
