Immersive Future CW: Paving the Way for Coventry & Warwickshire's Creative Tomorrow

Coventry & Warwickshire (C&W) boasts an established, vibrant and world-class creative industries/video game development cluster anchored in 'Silicon Spa'. Playing host to 7,000 sector businesses and 80 game development studios, C&W employs 44,000 of the UK's most creative minds with strengths in design, software consulting, games development, digital marketing, virtual and augmented reality, film & TV.

**Immersive Future CW** (IFCW), is a targeted cluster management project. It will provide a cohesive gateway, pooling the region's resources, creating a co-ordinated, proactive approach to R&D led innovation within the creative industries to attract better and more varied investment and market opportunities.

This project will build on the distinctive innovation approach of C&W Launchpad which will develop, fuse and transfer existing research excellence, industrial innovation capability and sectoral strengths focused on market-orientated opportunities in immersive and creative technologies.

Led by University of Warwick (UoW) and Coventry University (CU), Immersive Future CW will build capacity with key regional partners: Warwickshire County Council (WCC); Coventry City Council (CCC); Warwick District Council (WDC); WMCA; Invest CW; Growth Hub and national organisations: UKIE; TIGA; BAFTA; Digital Catapult; Creative UK. It has 6 objectives;

1. Create a cohesive, proactive gateway to share, join-up, increase opportunities, enhance innovation intensity and cross-sector activities within the cluster.
2. Support creative & immersive businesses to develop innovation maturity by brokering partnerships and mutually beneficial collaborations; in turn stimulating local supply chain networks, enhancing the diversity of the ecosystem, creating opportunities for investment and access to R&D.
3. Convene a sector-leading Cluster Management Group consisting of regional partners, businesses and investment networks. Co-created initiatives will ensure a holistic approach to cluster development, fostering a conducive environment for future growth and provide the best opportunity for legacy post-Launchpad.
4. Embed EDI throughout the project; launching activations and themes that address industry needs, increase diverse ideas, audiences, drive productivity and innovation.
5. Establish a striking brand and identity which encapsulates the power and strength of being part of C&W's creative cluster.
6. Develop a sustainable business model and legacy for cluster management including financial plan, strategic partnerships, staff and resources aligned with the long-term objectives of the cluster.

Bringing together the established and emerging innovation ecosystem, IFCW will activate a series of events and programmes which build on, gap fill and extend existing activity. Adding value, encouraging innovation, further investment, and accelerating the region as a hub for the future of immersive & creative technologies.