BTA News

Bulgaria Participates for First Time in World’s Largest Computer Gaming Fair in Germany

The Bulgarian Small and Medium Enterprises Promotion Agency (BSMEPA), in cooperation with the CreaTech Bulgaria cluster, has organized the first-time participation of Bulgarian business in the Gamescom Computer Gaming Fair in Cologne, Germany. The exhibition started on Wednesday and will take place until August 23, BSMEPA said on its website.

BSMEPA has organized and financed the participation of nine Bulgarian companies in the fair on a total exhibition area of 60,00 sq. m.

BSMEPA Executive Director Boyko Takov said that the gaming industry is a rapidly growing sector on a global level and a multi-billion market. “Gaming companies are export-oriented by default, and we support Bulgarian ones because we believe they have their place on the world stage, generate high added value for our economy and create jobs,” Takov explained.

“The sector is a field for innovation and technological development, especially in the areas of graphics processing, artificial intelligence and virtual reality. Being part of the creative industries, the gaming sector can also make further contributions to our country in the areas of culture, tourism, education and skills development”, the BSMEPA Executive Director also said.

According to Genoveva Hristova, Chairperson of CreaTech Bulgaria, the video game manufacturing sector is the leading sector in the CreaTech Bulgaria cluster that represents some 3% of Bulgaria’s GDP and has great chances for expansion on international markets. “Bulgaria has so much talent and experts in the sector. It is key for us to create our own games and content that we can commercialize, rather than being an outsourcing partner to the giants in the sector,” she added.

Gamescom is the world’s largest fair in the field of creative industries. The event has been held annually since 2009. It is organized by Koelnmesse GmbH. More than 1,227 exhibitors participated in the 2023 edition of Gamescom. It brought together more than 320,000 business visitors from over 100 countries.