Niagara Business Pulse - Focus on Digital Media

The world competes on an international digital media stage and the Niagara Region of Ontario is poised to surge forward with its growing pool of world-class creatives, programmers and researchers, as well as a fertile environment where they can collaborate and do business.  MORE

Local video game developer Silicon Knights received nearly $3 million in provincial funding to improve its technology, create new products and become a self-publishing company.  MORE

nGen is Niagara's hub for interactive digital media projects and business development. In the past few months, nGen has joined the Ontario Network of Excellence and a growing company has become a tenant. The organization is also expanding its mandate.  

Students of Brock's Interactive Arts and Science Program (under the umbrella of the Centre for Digital Humanities) are making significant strides in digital media as they release two new games. The school also received a grant to create a network that will provide a boost to Niagara's digital media industry.

Prospective students are lining up to enroll in Niagara College's new Game Development Program. The program is already waitlisted for its inaugural September term, with 215 applicants to fill 50 spaces. MORE

The Ontario Technology Corridor (OTC) is sending representatives to Game Developers Conference Europe 2011 in Cologne, Germany between August 15 and 17. This is the largest trade fair and event for interactive games and entertainment in Europe. OTC representatives will have pre-qualified meetings arranged with companies at the conference who are interested in locating in Ontario. The OTC is a partnership between the Greater Toronto area, Ottawa region, Waterloo region, City of London and Niagara region. Ontario's Ministry of Economic Development and Trade and Canada's Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade Canada are also partners in the corridor.

At Tri-Media, we are creating a digital connection throughout Niagara and beyond its boundaries. As a global communications firm involved in marketing and technology, location is very important. This region's intermodal hub provides us with the effortless means to connect rapidly with North American and global markets. Being a part of Niagara is a positive connection in the minds of our customers around the world. 
 - Albert Iannantuono, President and Chief Executive Officer

By relocating from Germany to Niagara we now have the best of both worlds - an industrious progressive region surrounded by natural beauty. Our work with visual effects and 3D animation allows us to partner with many companies in Niagara's growing digital media sector, as well as recruit new talent from Brock University and Niagara College.  
 - Tobias Wiegand, President

The Niagara region has helped our innovative simulator and engineering design business to take flight! Quick access to global markets plays an important role in furthering our growth. The region's strong support of interactive media companies includes the Niagara Interactive Media Generator (nGen), which as been instrumental to our success. Affordable tax rates and the low cost of doing business is why Niagara is the place to be.  
 - Christian Menge, Founder

My troops can become quite fatigued sitting at computer screens developing leading edge video games. That's why the work/play balance in the region is so key to their productivity. And the high speed fibre optic networks that link us to domestic and international markets is critical to our daily operations.  
 - Denis Dyack, President