Major survey to help West of England region capitalise on high-tech opportunities

A major piece of research is being undertaken to ensure the West of England region capitalises on the huge opportunities the future of gaming, animation and visual effects will bring.

The survey comes after the successful staging of the first SouthWest VR Conference, a national showcase which threw a spotlight on the world of virtual reality in film, games, TV and animation.

Set to become a major annual event in the industry calendar, SouthWest VR Conference attracted leading lights from the industry to Bristol recently, with the line-up including Sony Computer Entertainment, Bossa Studios, Atlantic Productions’ Alchemy VR, Unity 3D, nDreams and Innerspace.

New innovations launched at the conference included the VRgo chair, a hands-free, wireless chair offering an improved VR experience with huge potential to shake up the gaming market and beyond.

The new survey, commissioned by inward investment agency Invest Bristol & Bath in partnership with the West of England Local Enterprise Partnership, is designed to identify the skills, training and recruitment needs in the games, animation and VFX (visual effects) sectors in the West of England.

The findings of the survey will create a more detailed picture of the skills and competencies of these industries, helping to attract further investment and greater business opportunities to the region.

David Maher Roberts, digital sector specialist at Invest Bristol & Bath, comments: “The Bristol and Bristol region is in a prime position to capitalise on the huge opportunities advancements in gaming and virtual reality are expected to bring across a multitude of disciplines including entertainment, architecture and aerospace.

“The region’s thriving tech hub has the skills and experience, as well as the collaborative and innovative approach required to become one of Europe’s leading gaming and VR hubs.

“This survey will help create a more detailed picture of the strengths and needs of gaming, animation and visual effects industries in particular, helping to further build the region’s reputation as a leading hub for technology and innovation.”

To take the survey click here:  https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/IBBagvfxsurvey