One of Scotland’s most renowned tech entrepreneurs has called for a dedicated events and entertainment arena for Dundee.
Chris van der Kuyl, Chairman of 4J Studios, the company which brought computer game Minecraft to consoles, said the city, famed for its videogame industry, needs a purpose-built arena to help project itself onto the world stage.
Van der Kuyl was speaking at a FutureScot regional economic development and digital conference at the V&A Dundee earlier this month, and credited the new design museum with lifting the city’s reputation internationally.
He said: “So, why don’t we repeat it in a conference and entertainment venue that’s better than anything out there. Scale, we can debate that, but this shouldn’t be a refurbishment of a bingo hall, this should be an iconic facility that shows the world that Dundee believes in itself.”
He said the vision should be for the city to create a conference and entertainment venue that makes the Hydro in Glasgow “look a bit last century”.
He added: “The economic impact of that [in terms of] the bedroom nights, the hospitality, will be monumentally and forever transformational for this area and if we do that at the right scale, we’ll win and if we half-bake it and be apologetic, and aim down here, we’re all screwed and none of us will be here in 50 years’ time.”
