RSSA - Games in Scotland:- How Scotland came to be at the centre of the videogames universe

Scotland has a unique place in the history of the world’s largest entertainment industry. From Lemmings to GTA to Minecraft Console Editions, some of the world’s biggest game franchises are made in Scotland. As the modern video games industry approaches 50 years old Chris will explore Scotland’s unique contribution to the world’s largest entertainment industry. From University of Abertay being the world’s first to offer a Games Engineering degree to the recent announcement of UKRI funding for a Local Innovation Partnership Fund for Games this talk will also cover the wider impact of games on academia and the wider society.

Chris van der Kuyl is one of Scotland’s leading entrepreneurs working across the technology, media, gaming and entertainment sectors. Chris is most notably co-founder and chairman of multiple award-winning games developer 4J Studios, best known for developing Minecraft for Microsoft, Sony and Nintendo games consoles. He and fellow co-founder Paddy Burns launched Chroma Ventures, the investment arm of 4J Studios, in 2021.

Chris is chairman of; Broker Insights, Stormcloud Games and Ace Aquatec and sits on the boards of; Parsley Box, Blippar and Ant Workshop. He is also a non-executive director of the Ballie Gifford US Growth Trust.

Alongside his commercial roles, he was the founding chairman of Entrepreneurial Scotland and is currently a member of multiple advisory and local charity boards. Elected as one of the youngest Fellows of the Royal Society of Edinburgh in 2013, Chris was also formally recognised for his contribution to technology in the Queen’s Birthday Honours List 2020, becoming a Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (CBE).