The Ministry of Information Technology and Telecommunications has decided to open the Center of Excellence for Gaming and Animation (CEGA) in Karachi and Lahore.
IT Ministry To Establish Center of Excellence for Gaming and Animation (CEGA)
The Ignite National Technology Fund has invited companies to express their interest in establishing the Center of Excellence for Gaming and Animation (CEGA).
The Centers will be located at NED University of Engineering and Technology Karachi and National Aerospace Science and Technology Park (NASTP) Lahore, according to a document available.
The center at NED UET is approximately 11,000 square feet, and the center at NASTP Lahore is approximately 14,500 square feet.
Each CEGA in Lahore and Karachi will have a training center, co-working space, and incubation center.
State-of-the-art Training Centers
In both Karachi and Lahore, state-of-the-art training centers with 50 workstations for students will be established, with instructor-led physical and virtual training facilities provided.
Each CEGA will have a co-working or community space for freelancers, entrepreneurs, individuals, and so on.
At each center, the community space will also include meeting rooms and a common area with seating for 100 people.
Each year, incubation centers will accept 40 gaming/animation startups (20 in Karachi and 20 in Lahore).
According to the Ministry, the gaming and animation industries have grown dramatically as a result of the Internet, satellite TV, mobile devices, social media, and a growing demand for entertainment, gaming, animation movies, and visual effects.
Current Market Size of Gaming and Animation
The current market size of gaming and animation is more than USD 500 billion, with exponential growth expected in the coming years.
According to the Ministry, the Pakistani gaming industry generated USD 170 million in revenue last year, with over 8,000 professionals working in gaming and animation.
Pakistan has 195 million mobile subscribers, 119 million of whom use 3G/4G services.
Every year, Pakistan produces over 30,000 graduates in Information and Communication Technologies (ICT).
More than 60 percent of Pakistan’s population is under the age of 30.
Furthermore, Pakistan has the world’s third largest English-speaking population.
All of these statistics point to a very profitable application for gaming and animation in Pakistan.
Pakistan’s Potential
According to the National Technology Fund, Pakistan has a great potential to meet both the demand and supply sides of the gaming and amination industry.
Game development is a high-budget business, whereas animation requires skill mastery.
There is currently no vertical incubator or Centre of Excellence in gaming and animation in Pakistan.
Ignite National Technology Fund, according to Ignite, has stepped into this segment and plans to launch a Center of Excellence exclusively for Gaming and Animation (CEGA) to address the needs of the skillset required for gaming and animation.
Boosting the Economy
CEGA will not only provide a platform for Pakistanis to come forward, learn, and improve their gaming and animation skills, but it will also assist the national economy in capturing a market share in the multibillion-dollar global gaming and animation industry.
The goal of this program is to make Pakistan one of the key regional players in the gaming, animation, and multimedia industries over a five-year period by providing proper equipment, co-working facilities, and training.
To read our blog on “Gaming industry would cross $200m mark in 23, Chairman P@SHA,” click here.
