The European Games Developer Federation (EGDF) has officially announced the composition of its new governing board for the 2026‑2028 term, confirming that Hendrik Lesser has been re‑elected to continue serving as the federation’s president. Lesser’s renewed mandate comes at a pivotal moment for the European gaming sector, as the organisation seeks to strengthen its role as a catalyst for growth, innovation, and international visibility for game creators across the continent.
Two prominent figures stepped away from the board this cycle: David Rabineau, the chief executive officer of Homo Ludens, and Gediminas Tarasevicius, director of the indie studio No Brakes Games. Their departures make way for a refreshed lineup of industry leaders who bring a blend of operational expertise, policy experience, and creative insight.
The newly appointed board members are: - **Martine Spaans** – Chief Operating Officer at Fourth Moon Games and General Manager of the Dutch Games Association. Spaans brings a deep understanding of both studio management and national industry advocacy.
- **KooPee Hiltunen** – Director of the Neogames Finland Association, representing one of the most vibrant game development ecosystems in the Nordics. - **Per Strömbäck** – Board member of the Gaming Culture Foundation and participant in the Stockholm Region Business Council, offering a perspective that bridges cultural policy and commercial strategy. - **Hrvoje Mitic** – Head of Business Development at GamesCo., Secretary‑General of the Croatian Game Development Alliance, and founder of Splitscreen Croatia, providing a strong network across Central and Eastern Europe. - **Jakub Marszalkowski** – Head of the Games Industry Conference, co‑founder and board member of the Indie Games Poland Foundation, known for championing indie creators and facilitating industry dialogue.
- **Vanessa Kaplan** – Director General of the Syndicat National du Jeu Vidéo, representing the French video‑game sector and its extensive talent pool. Together, this diverse group is tasked with executing EGDF’s strategic agenda for the next two years. Central to that agenda is the ambition to give European developers a clearer “route to the top of the value chain,” meaning that creators should be able to move from concept to market‑ready product with greater ease and receive a fair share of the economic returns generated by their work. To achieve this, EGDF plans to concentrate on three interrelated pillars: enhanced access to funding, a richer talent pipeline, and more robust skill‑development programmes.
**Funding pathways** – The federation intends to act as a bridge between public‑sector grant schemes, private investment funds, and studio needs. By mapping the landscape of available capital and simplifying application processes, EGDF hopes to reduce the administrative burden that often discourages smaller studios from seeking external financing. In practice, this could involve creating a centralized portal where developers can discover EU‑level incentives, national subsidies, and venture‑capital opportunities tailored to different stages of development.
**Talent acquisition and retention** – Europe boasts a wealth of creative and technical talent, yet many studios report difficulty in locating the right skill sets at the right time. EGDF will therefore work closely with educational institutions, apprenticeship programmes, and industry associations to build a more transparent talent marketplace.
Initiatives may include joint career fairs, mentorship schemes linking seasoned professionals with emerging developers, and cross‑border mobility programmes that enable talent to flow where opportunities arise. **Skill‑building and upskilling** – Rapid technological change—particularly the rise of artificial intelligence, cloud‑based services, and immersive hardware—means that continuous learning is essential. EGDF plans to launch a series of workshops, webinars, and certification pathways covering topics such as AI‑driven game design, sustainable production pipelines, and advanced analytics.
By providing affordable, high‑quality training, the federation aims to raise the overall competence level of European studios and make them more competitive on the global stage. In a statement accompanying the board announcement, EGDF emphasized its ongoing commitment to monitoring and nurturing the European game‑industry ecosystem.
The federation will continue to foster collaboration among studios, publishers, technology providers, and policy makers, while also working to amplify the sector’s visibility worldwide. "Our goal is to ensure that European games not only thrive domestically but also achieve a stronger foothold in international markets," the statement read. A notable forward‑looking objective highlighted by EGDF is its intention to become the first AI‑centric European trade association for games.
Recognising that the gaming sector is often at the forefront of adopting AI tools—from procedural content generation to player‑behavior analytics—the federation aims to embed AI considerations into its advocacy, standards‑setting, and member services. This could involve establishing ethical guidelines for AI use in games, facilitating pilot projects that explore AI‑enhanced development workflows, and lobbying for supportive regulatory frameworks at the EU level.
The board’s agenda aligns with broader industry data released earlier in the week. In partnership with Video Games Europe (VGE), EGDF co‑published the European Video Game Industry Insights Report 2024.
The report revealed that the continent’s gaming market generated a turnover of €24 billion in 2024, supporting more than 6,600 studios and employing upwards of 95 000 individuals. These figures underscore the sector’s economic significance and its potential for further expansion, especially if structural barriers such as fragmented funding and skills shortages are addressed.
Looking ahead, the EGDF board plans to convene regular stakeholder meetings, publish annual progress reports, and launch pilot initiatives that test new models of financing and talent development. By leveraging the collective expertise of its newly appointed members—spanning the Netherlands, Finland, Sweden, Croatia, Poland, and France—the federation aspires to create a more cohesive, resilient, and innovative European gaming landscape. In summary, the re‑election of Hendrik Lesser and the introduction of a refreshed board signal continuity and renewal for the European Games Developer Federation.
With a clear focus on funding accessibility, talent cultivation, skill enhancement, and AI integration, EGDF is positioning itself to guide the European game industry through the next phase of growth, ensuring that creators across the continent can compete effectively on the world stage while preserving the unique cultural voices that define European games.