Bavaria's Digital Minister Mehring: Cultivate Potential, Think Big
– 2 min read
At the closing event of the first Bavarian Games Accelerator Level Up, patron Fabian Mehring once again emphasised the importance of the games industry and stressed that Bavaria aims to leverage the potential of its young, creative game studios.
The final presentation of the Level Up Accelerator took place at Bavaria’s new games centre, the Gamerei in Munich. The participating studios—including a fool on every star, Blossom Path Games, Felix Baumgarten Games, Fiery Things, HighPassionStudios, Sagewing Studio, SenAm Games, and Sleepy Mole Games—showcased the progress they had made over the past six months through the programme. Bavaria’s Digital Minister, Dr Fabian Mehring, who also serves as patron of the accelerator programme run by Games Bavaria, was in attendance.
"I am impressed by the teams’ visions and creativity—it leaves you wanting more," said Mehring as he handed over the certificates of participation. "The results of this first year highlight the potential of the games industry in Bavaria as a digital hub—and how crucial it is that we do everything possible to support this billion-dollar growth market."
Mehring also referred to the latest survey by the game association, which identifies Bavaria as the most popular location for the games industry in Germany. His tenure, which began at the end of 2023, has seen numerous new initiatives for the Bavarian games industry, following years of relative stagnation. "Games are much more than mere entertainment or a hobby for computer nerds," Mehring emphasized, adding: "We will not stand by and watch as Asia, Canada, or the USA divide up the value created by the games industry among themselves. Bavaria wants to join the Champions League of this future industry itself."
A key pillar of this effort is the Games/Bavaria initiative, which coordinates and implements measures from the Digital Ministry.
"Bavaria has a wealth of young, creative studios with the potential to become major players in the games industry. With this programme, we want to tap into that potential by providing professional coaching at an early stage. Networking within the local scene further strengthens the industry," said Lina Timm, managing director of Medien.Bayern, which oversees the Games/Bavaria initiative.
Finally, Mehring referenced a new study by EY, which shows that in 2024, young companies in Bavaria received more venture capital (€2.3 billion) than those in Berlin (€2.2 billion). One of the key growth drivers is the games industry. "We offer an environment where developers can realize their ideas and companies can grow successfully. We must cultivate this enormous potential—and always think big. Because then, the motto for our entire high-tech sector is: Level Up!"
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