The European Games Developer Federation (EGDF) has confirmed that Hendrik Lesser will continue at the helm as its president, following his successful re‑election. In tandem with this leadership continuity, the federation has unveiled the composition of its new board for the 2026‑2028 term, signalling a fresh strategic direction for the continent’s game‑development community.
Two prominent figures stepped away from the board at the close of the previous term. David Rabineau, the chief executive officer of Homo Ludens, and Gediminas Tarasevicius, the studio director of No Brakes Games, both announced their departures, making room for new voices and expertise to guide EGDF’s agenda.
The freshly appointed board members bring a diverse set of experiences from across Europe’s vibrant gaming ecosystem: - **Martine Spaans** – currently serving as Chief Operating Officer at Fourth Moon Games and also holding the role of General Manager for the Dutch Games Association, Spaans is known for her operational acumen and deep connections within the Dutch and broader Benelux gaming sectors. - **KooPee Hiltunen** – as director of the Neogames Finland Association, Hiltunen has been instrumental in fostering collaboration among Finnish studios, advocating for policy support, and promoting Finland’s reputation as a hub for innovative game design. - **Per Strömbäck** – a board member of the Gaming Culture Foundation and a participant in the Stockholm Region Business Council, Strömbäck brings a blend of cultural insight and business‑development expertise that bridges creative and commercial interests.
- **Hrvoje Mitic** – leading business development at GamesCo., serving as secretary‑general of the Croatian Game Development Alliance, and founding Splitscreen Croatia, Mitic offers a strong entrepreneurial perspective and a track record of nurturing startup growth in the Balkans. - **Jakub Marszalkowski** – heading the Games Industry Conference and co‑founding the Indie Games Poland Foundation, where he also sits on the board, Marszalkowski adds event‑management experience and a passion for supporting independent developers. - **Vanessa Kaplan** – director‑general of the Syndicat National du Jeu Vidéo, Kaplan is a key figure in France’s gaming policy landscape, championing industry standards and advocating for creators’ rights at a national level.
Together, these six individuals form a board that reflects the geographic and functional diversity of Europe’s game‑development sector, from Nordic innovation hubs to Southern European creative clusters, and from large‑scale commercial enterprises to indie‑focused initiatives. ### Strategic Priorities for 2026‑2028 In its public statement, EGDF laid out a clear agenda for the upcoming two‑year period.
Central to this agenda is the ambition to provide developers with "a route to the top of the value chain," a phrase that encapsulates the federation’s desire to help studios move beyond early‑stage development and gain greater influence over publishing, distribution, and monetisation pathways. To achieve this, EGDF plans to focus on three interrelated pillars: 1.
**Enhanced Access to Funding** – The federation will work closely with national and EU‑level funding bodies, venture capital networks, and private investors to streamline application processes, increase transparency, and create dedicated grant programmes for emerging studios. By acting as an intermediary, EGDF hopes to reduce the administrative burden on developers and accelerate the flow of capital into promising projects.
2. **Talent Development and Mobility** – Recognising that a skilled workforce is the backbone of any thriving industry, EGDF intends to launch a series of cross‑border training initiatives, mentorship schemes, and apprenticeship programmes. These efforts will be designed to up‑skill both technical talent—such as programmers, artists, and sound designers—and business‑oriented roles like product managers and community leads.
Moreover, the federation aims to facilitate talent mobility across member states, helping studios fill skill gaps quickly while offering professionals broader career opportunities. 3.
**Skills and Knowledge Sharing** – By organising conferences, webinars, and workshops, EGDF will create platforms for knowledge exchange. Topics will range from emerging technologies (e.g., virtual reality, cloud gaming) to best practices in sustainable development, diversity and inclusion, and post‑launch support. The federation also plans to publish regular research reports that map market trends, consumer behaviour, and regulatory developments, giving members data‑driven insights to inform strategic decisions.
The board emphasized that these initiatives are not isolated actions but part of a cohesive ecosystem strategy. "The EGDF will continue to monitor and facilitate the development of the European game industry ecosystem, strengthen its collaboration with European game development studios, and increase the European game industry's global visibility," the federation said in its release. ### AI as a Strategic Frontier A noteworthy element of EGDF’s forward‑looking vision is its commitment to positioning the association at the forefront of artificial‑intelligence integration within the gaming sector.
The federation highlighted that the game industry has historically been an early adopter of AI‑driven tools—whether for procedural content generation, player‑behaviour analytics, or automated testing. Building on this legacy, EGDF set an ambitious goal: to become the first AI‑based European trade association.
Achieving this objective will involve several concrete steps. First, EGDF plans to establish an AI advisory panel composed of researchers, technologists, and studio representatives to guide policy development and ethical standards.
Second, the federation will curate a repository of open‑source AI tools and frameworks that developers can leverage to accelerate prototyping and production. Third, EGDF will partner with academic institutions and research labs to sponsor joint projects that explore novel AI applications, such as adaptive storytelling, real‑time language translation, and advanced player‑experience personalization. By championing AI, EGDF hopes not only to boost the competitiveness of European studios but also to ensure that the adoption of these technologies aligns with ethical considerations, data privacy regulations, and inclusive design principles.
### Industry Context: 2024 Market Snapshot Earlier in the week, EGDF collaborated with Video Games Europe (VGE) to release the European Video Game Industry Insights Report 2024. The report paints a robust picture of the continent’s gaming economy. In 2024, European game developers generated a total turnover of €24 billion, underscoring the sector’s significant contribution to the regional Gross Domestic Product.
The industry is supported by more than 6,600 studios, ranging from multinational publishers to small indie teams, collectively employing over 95,000 individuals across development, publishing, marketing, and ancillary services. These figures illustrate both the scale and the fragmentation of the market—a landscape where many studios operate independently yet share common challenges such as funding access, talent scarcity, and the need for international market exposure. EGDF’s renewed focus on bridging these gaps is therefore timely, aiming to harness the collective strength of the community while respecting the unique identities of its members.
### Looking Ahead As the new board settles into its roles, the European Games Developer Federation is poised to act as a catalyst for growth, innovation, and collaboration across the continent. By reinforcing financial pathways, nurturing talent, fostering skill development, and embracing AI, EGDF seeks to elevate European game development from a collection of isolated successes to a unified, globally recognised powerhouse. Stakeholders—including developers, investors, educators, and policymakers—are invited to engage with the federation’s initiatives, contribute to its research outputs, and participate in upcoming events. Through shared effort, the vision of a more connected, well‑funded, and technologically advanced European gaming ecosystem can become a reality in the years to come.