Wendy Alexander says Dundee is a 21st Century City of Science and Discovery

Minister for Enterprise and Lifelong Learning, Wendy Alexander, today confirmed that Dundee's 21st Century prosperity would be built on "bytes, bio-science and business enterprise"

Ms Alexander was visiting Dundee to open two major new University centres of excellence, the latest examples of Dundee's strategy to grow through knowledge and innovation.

The IC CAVE (The International Centre for Computer Games and Virtual Entertainment) at the University of Abertay Dundee is the UK's first applied academic Research and Development centre dedicated to the computer games and digital entertainment industry.

The Centre for Enterprise Management at the University of Dundee will help to transform today's leading research into the products, processes and services of tomorrow.

The Centre is Dundee's contribution to the Scottish Institute for Enterprise, a partnership with industry and the Universities of Edinburgh, Glasgow, Heriot Watt and Strathclyde. The Institute will promote entrepreneurship, the commercialisation of University activities and foster better working between business and colleges.

Welcoming Dundee's continuing transformation into a Science City Ms Alexander said:

"In the 18th and 19th Century Dundee's wealth was built on "jute, jam and journalism". The city's future prosperity will depend on putting "bytes, bio-science and business enterprise" at the heart of Dundee's new knowledge-based economy.

"Dundee is continuing to use science and knowledge as the foundation of a 21st century economy. Local unemployment is falling faster than the Scottish average, and jobs are being created in some of the key high tech industries of the future.

"Computers, computer games and mobile phones are part of every day life, and Dundee is connected to these global markets through investments by some of the world's biggest companies, and by a fast growing cluster of high-tech local companies.

"A third of Scotland 15 "games" companies are based in Dundee employing 100 people already and projected to grow by 10-20 per cent over the next 5 years. Scotland's computer games industry is a real player on the world stage.

"Dundee is already at the cutting edge in the expanding world-wide markets for high-tech healthcare, medicine and biotechnology. This world leading position is based largely on the strengths of the local research community.

"Around 1900 people are now employed in biotechnology and life science research, generating over £45 million in research and commercial income to the University of Dundee alone.

"Eight out of the world's top ten pharmaceutical companies have research contracts with the University, and there are now 18 biotechnology companies operating in Tayside, compared with only seven five years ago.

"Dundee is a great example of the type of success we wish to see across Scotland. The smart, successful Scotland will be built on turning the country into a fast learning, high earning nation. Universities are our 'investment bank' for tomorrow's economy."

Picture Gallery

Wendy Alexander with University of Dundee's Professor Sir David Lane at today's double launch of Dundee City of Science.	Nearly 100 figures from industry, commerce and academia gathered in the cinema at DCA for the launch by Wendy Alexander of the University's Centre of Enterprise Management
Sir Alan Langlands welcomes Wendy Alexander to University of Dundee	Wendy Alexander accepts an Entrepreneurship CD Rom and a copy of Dundee A Voyage of Discovery from Professor Malcolm Horner Director of the new centre
Left to right: Sir Alan Langlands shares a joke with Minister Wendy Alexander Professor Malcolm Horner and Carl Togneri

1. Long-term unemployment in Dundee City has fallen much faster than Scotland as a whole in the last year (Dundee - 53 per cent fall; Scotland 18 per cent fall).

2. The International Centre for Computer Games and Virtual Entertainment (IC-Cave) is located in the University of Abertay Dundee and is the only one of its type in the UK and is a base for new innovative developments in Scotland.

3. The Centre further provides high quality services including the provision of a first-class R&D environment to support games companies using appropriate equipment and facilities. The establishment of IC-CAVE provides a focus for research themes on interdisciplinary research related to computer games, electronic entertainment and education.

4. Funding for Phase One of the IC-CAVE Project totals £1.6 m. This comprises a SHEFC award of almost £330,000, £200,000 from Scottish Enterprise Tayside and £100,000 from Dundee City Council, with a further £700,000 coming from the European Regional Development Fund. The University of Abertay Dundee has also invested £270,000.

5. Henry McLeish, launched the £25 million Creative Industries strategy on 24 August 2000. Creative Industries include design, games, film, new media, publishing, advertising, radio and television, music and architecture.

6. The University of Abertay Dundee was the first university in the world to run taught courses in games programming (BSc and MSc), and games creativity and artwork (BA). The University's best-known graduate in this field is David Jones, inventor of "Lemmings", and founder of DMA and Rage.

7. Contact for IC-CAVE is Dr Ian Marshall, Head of School of Computing, University of Abertay Dundee Tel: 01382 308600.

8. The Centre for Enterprise Management is the University of Dundee's contribution to the Scottish Institute for Enterprise. The Centre's approach is consistent with the requirements of A Smart, Successful Scotland and builds on the partnership which has been developing between the University of Cambridge and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology - one of the key requirements of that partnership is to link a number of UK science enterprise centres (including the Scottish Institute for Enterprise) into an international network.

9. The Centre is committed to improving productivity, competitiveness and entrepreneurship. It is directed by Malcolm Horner, Professor of Engineering Management, and Head of the Grade 5 research rated Department of Civil Engineering. It will focus particularly on enterprise management and project management for scientists and engineers, management for the creative arts and management for energy, petroleum and mineral law and policy, another of the major strengths at the University of Dundee. The Centre also plans a regular series of 'entrepreneur led seminars', the development of a 'PLATO scheme' through which large companies can provide support for smaller ones and a 'Link scheme' providing overseas exchange opportunities for young people.

10. Initial funding of £4m over 5 years has been awarded by the DTI to establish the Scottish Institute for Enterprise - Dundee's share is £732k for the five year period with additional sums in kind provided by the University. The SIE Board has a key responsibility to oversee the development of the activity across the five universities and to raise funds to build the education, exchange and commercialisation programmes on a sustainable basis.

Contact: Neil Trotter 0141 242 5677
Internet: www.scotland.gov.uk