Scottish Secretary Alister Jack has welcomed funding to create a research facility which seeks to drive the next generation in visual effects technology.
A consortium led by Abertay University was selected as the preferred bidder for one of four specialists labs which will focus on real-time production using computer-generated imagery (CGI) and augmented reality.
The technology is already popularly known for facilitating the Abba Voyage live concert in London and Disney’s show The Mandalorian.
The Dundee site, funded through £75.6m of UK Government funding and £63m of new industry investment, is part of the UKRI’s Convergent Screen Technologies and performance in Realtime (CoStar) programme.
Alongside sites in Yorkshire and Belfast, the lab will form the largest visual production research and development network in Europe, with the Water Edge Studios site combining expertise from Abertay and Edinburgh universities and tech firms.
It is expected that the three regional hubs will contribute a combined £33m to the economy while supporting 423 jobs. A national lab will also be set up in London.
Jack said: “This is a huge boost for Scotland’s world-class creative sector.
“This new facility in Dundee, funded by the UK Government, will help to build on the visual effects expertise we already have.
“Working together across the UK will ensure we remain on the cutting edge of this exciting industry, helping to create highly skilled jobs and grow our economy.”
The announcement is part of the UK Government’s ambition to maximise the growth of the creative industries by an extra £50m by 2030.
Some of this pot will support six more “creative clusters” – groups of creative businesses linked with universities in cities across the UK.
They will be chosen in addition to the nine existing clusters, which include one helping screen and performance firms in Bristol and Bath adapt to emerging technologies, and one promoting data-driven innovation among creative entrepreneurs in Edinburgh.
A programme helping creative start-ups scale up and turn entrepreneurs into business leaders will get nearly £11m added to its budget.
More money will also go towards around 400 grassroots music venues, new video games studios, London Fashion Week and helping emerging British musicians make it abroad, the Treasury said.
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said: “The creative industries are a true British success story, from global music stars like Adele and Ed Sheeran to world-class cultural institutions like the National Theatre.
“These industries have a special place in our national life and make a unique contribution to how we feel about ourselves as a country.
“We want to build on this incredible success to drive growth in our economy - one of my key priorities - and to ensure that UK creative industries continue to lead the world long into the future.”
The new cash builds on the £230m in government spending on the sector since 2021, according to the Treasury.
Funding for a scheme that provides grants to help British artists break into overseas markets - whose past recipients include Wolf Alice, Dave and Catfish and the Bottlemen - will be expanded to £3.2m over the next two years.
The UK Games Fund will receive £5m more to help video gaming studios grow and attract private investment into the industry.
Chancellor Jeremy Hunt said: “It’s quite difficult to really say whether gaming should count as being in the tech industry or the creative industries, because it’s got both.”
He also said “there’s increasing overlap between creative industries and technology”, pointing to film and TV being “incredibly tech-heavy now”.
Hunt, who spoke at this week’s London Tech Week, said the creative industries are classed as one of the UK’s five biggest-growth sectors in the Government’s industrial strategy because “it’s not just important in its own right, but it strengthens our offer in other areas like technology”.
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