Ireland is planning to double its game industry employment numbers by 2014, targeting 4,500 jobs from the current estimate of 2,000. The country, which has been dealing with a financial crisis, and acting as a corporate tax haven as the same time, is looking to back sustained growth in digital creative industries.

Develop lays out the six initiatives the country has to grow in the sector. "As a pioneering sector within the wider digital economy, the games sector is dynamic, innovative and exciting," said Richard Bruton, the minister for jobs, enterprise and innovation. "What is apparent is that Ireland already has a number of strengths on which we can build success for the future and that will differentiate its offering internationally."

Ireland is already off to a good start, with the recent opening of BioWare Ireland (pictured), a 200-employee customer service center expected to double in size.

Posted: Oct 13, 2011 8:06 am

Source: http://www.joystiq.com/2011/10/12/ireland-planning-to-double-its-game-industry-jobs/#comments