Driving growth in Portugal’s games industry

Portugal may be a relatively new player in the global games industry, but that hasn’t stopped the region from making strides since it began significant investment into the sector a couple of years ago.

Portugal’s video games industry is estimated to have generated around $258 million last year, fueled by an impressive bank of professional talent, owing to around 7,100 students in areas related to gaming or multimedia.

One Portuguese organisation that plays a vital role in the continued growth of Portugal’s game development efforts is the ACIF-CCIM.

President António Jardim Fernandes says the organisation aims to connect the Madeiran and Portuguese games industry to key international markets and players and generally support the growth of the homegrown sector in Madeira. It’s a lofty goal, but one that ACIF-CCIM doesn’t have to tackle alone thanks to eGames Lab.

Funded by the EU through the Recovery and Resilience Plan, the eGames Lab is a national consortium of over 20 partners spanning private companies, research centres, and public institutions. Gaming is a common thread throughout everything.

Below, António Jardim Fernandes tells PocketGamer.biz about what the pair has accomplished so far. 

Pocketgamer.biz: Could you provide an overview of the state of the Portuguese games industry and what you think the future holds?

António Jardim Fernandes: Despite being a relatively young sector, Portugal’s games industry has shown remarkable growth in talent, creativity and expertise. Launching national initiatives like the eGames Lab marks a turning point for the region, shifting it from a fragmented state to a structured, innovation-driven ecosystem.

In the coming years, we foresee Portugal becoming a hub for serious games, immersive technologies and cross-sector innovation in areas such as health, education, tourism and sustainability. 

Our vision is to position Madeira as a hub of excellence in creative technologies and digital content, particularly in the gaming sector. Through eGames Lab, ACIF-CCIM aims to foster an environment where companies across the globe see Madeira not only as a beautiful and pleasant place to live, but also as a smart place to do business.

What are the key resources and facilities available at the eGames Lab that support game development?

The eGames Lab consortium offers an unparalleled ecosystem of resources across multiple regions in Portugal, providing access to cutting-edge research and development centres specialising in artificial intelligence, virtual and augmented reality, blockchain technologies and cognitive sciences. For example, the Madeira region benefits from world-class digital infrastructure, including a robust data centre supported by NOS Madeira and an expanding 5G network.

Through initiatives coordinated by ACIF-CCIM, the consortium also facilitates access to international markets, funding opportunities and expert consultancy in intellectual property, compliance and business scalability. These integrated resources ensure that creative and technological ideas are effectively nurtured from inception to international commercialisation.

Can you share some examples of successful projects that have emerged from eGames Lab so far?

The eGames Lab has been instrumental and critical in advancing a new generation of groundbreaking projects in Portugal. One notable example is Chill, developed by the brilliant studio Infinity Games, which explores video games' positive impact on our mental health and overall well-being. Redcatpig has also shone with KEO and HoverShock, two internationally recognised titles demonstrating the studio’s ability to build action-packed competitive multiplayer experiences.

Many consortium members have also demonstrated exceptional technological innovation, such as FootAR, which merged augmented reality (AR) and 5G technology to create a pioneering platform that enhances live sports with real-time, interactive capabilities. WalkMe Mobile Solutions, a company traditionally focused on mobile trivia games, has also transitioned into Virtual Reality (VR) to provide its players with an all-new perspective.

Finally, the upcoming deployment of a new Internet Exchange Point (IXP) in Portugal, an initiative led by 4SPIRO, is expected to have a major national impact. This new infrastructure will significantly enhance network performance for developers and gamers, enabling real-time testing environments, ultra-low-latency playtesting and optimised server communication for online games. 

What do you think Portuguese companies and individuals offer that sets them apart?

Our culture plays a major role. Portuguese hospitality, happiness and emotional intelligence shape the professionals we produce: focused yet empathetic, ambitious yet grounded. Take the example of Cristiano Ronaldo. He was five times the best in the world, but not the best in his youth team in Madeira. His journey is emblematic of the Portuguese mindset: we may not begin as the best, but we strive to become it.

This ethos is reflected across our creative industries, and our influence runs deeper than many realise. Even in the world of gaming, this heritage echoes. One of the most ambitious games in development in Madeira, Hanno, takes its name from the white elephant King Manuel I of Portugal gifted to Pope Leo X, a symbol of our once global reach, now reinterpreted through the lens of digital storytelling.

How does the eGames Lab collaborate with other organisations, both within Portugal and internationally, to foster growth?

Collaboration is deeply embedded into eGames Lab's DNA. Nationally, the consortium unites startups, academic institutions, creative studios and major technology providers in a multidisciplinary effort to develop a competitive and innovative gaming industry.

We also work closely with key ecosystem entities - including the Portuguese Video Game Association (APVP), Startup Lisboa and the Unicorn Factory Lisboa - to create synergies that connect emerging talent, investors and international acceleration platforms. We strongly believe that these partnerships are crucial to ensuring that the outcomes of the eGames Lab translate into real market opportunities.

We have forged connections with world-class institutions such as Carnegie Mellon University, the IT University of Copenhagen and HITLab New Zealand. These alliances enable knowledge transfer, joint research, validation and open pathways to global markets.

What are the expected long-term benefits of EU investment in the games industry, both for the region and the EU?

At its core, this investment promotes job creation. The eGames Lab alone is mobilising over 220 highly qualified professionals, focusing on fostering youth employment in regions such as Madeira and the Azores, where opportunities for high-skilled digital jobs have historically been more limited. 

Equally important is the contribution to economic diversification, with this strategic shift giving rise to new value chains in digital entertainment. The project also accelerates the development and integration of frontier technologies like AI, benefiting the local ecosystem and contributing to the EU’s digital autonomy and global competitiveness.

Culturally, the investment unlocks a powerful dimension: the international projection of Portuguese heritage through interactive media. Titles like KEO, Hovershock, Chill and Hanno are more than mere games - they carry Portuguese entrepreneurship to global audiences, reinforcing Europe’s cultural weight.

Lastly, the project's social impact should not be underestimated. By supporting “games with purpose,” whether addressing climate action, education, or mental health, the initiative aligns with the European Union’s broader vision of leveraging digital innovation as a driver of positive societal transformation.

Can you name some of the main challenges in developing a thriving games industry in Madeira and wider Portugal?

One of the most persistent challenges in Madeira has been the local industry's scale, which until recently operated in relative isolation. While the geographic context offers many strategic advantages, it can create barriers to access international markets, talent mobility and investor visibility. Another hurdle is the retention of highly skilled professionals, who are often drawn to larger European hubs with greater financial resources. 

The eGames Lab was designed to overcome these limitations. Forming a nationally coordinated and internationally connected consortium creates critical mass across regions while anchoring strategic operations in Madeira.

It facilitates access to funding, builds bridges with global platforms, and fosters a collaborative culture that allows studios, researchers and entrepreneurs to operate on a much larger scale. Above all, it gives the region visibility, purpose and a platform to remain competitive.

What are your future aspirations and goals for the eGames Lab and its impact on the Portuguese games industry?

We envision a Portugal where game development is no longer viewed as a niche sector, but as a key pillar of the creative and digital economy, contributing to exports, education and global cultural presence.

For Madeira, specifically, we aspire to create a self-sustaining cluster of studios, research centres and support structures, deeply embedded in the international ecosystem but with a distinctive regional identity.

We are in the process of creating a national network of interconnected gaming hubs, which will play a vital role in this strategy.

Over the coming months, these hubs will begin rolling out in cities across Portugal and serve as collaborative innovation spaces, combining incubation, training, production and public engagement. They aim to nurture emerging studios and embed gaming deeper into local economies, education systems and cultural life.

We also aim to deepen our contribution to societal innovation by developing tools that extend gaming's impact into areas such as mental health, environmental engagement and digital citizenship.

The eGames Lab is ultimately a long-term investment in people, creativity, and European innovation capacity based in Portugal, one of its most culturally precious countries.