Game Thinking Meets AI: Exploring Game Incubation Opportunities in Skellefteå

In mid-February 2025, Skellefteå Science City and Arctic Game hosted the BSG Go AI-enhanced workshop, bringing together key regional actors to explore how Game Thinking and Artificial Intelligence can drive innovation and collaboration.

Participants included representatives from Näringslivskontoret (the local business development department), Arctic Business, Arctic Game, the game studios Cold Sector and Tricky Whispers, the creative agency Creative Crowd, the investment company Mind Detonator, and the educational programmes Futuregames and Visual Magic.

Led by Professor Thomas Bremer and David Witzgell from DE:HIVE Berlin, the workshop used Game Thinking methodology to help define the model for a local incubator in Skellefteå. Through the concept of “systems as games”, participants examined how different players—such as public authorities, educators, and industry—can align their goals to create an effective and sustainable innovation ecosystem.

A central feature of the workshop was the use of AI-generated transcripts to analyse group discussions in real time. Recordings were processed through AI tools like ChatGPT to summarise insights, extract key takeaways, and even suggest potential partnerships and vision statements. This experimental approach demonstrated how AI can enhance collaborative processes by capturing complex conversations and transforming them into actionable knowledge.

The workshop not only exemplified the triple helix model—bridging academia, industry, and government—but also sparked a shared ambition among participants to continue co-creating local innovation initiatives. Positive feedback and recognition have already inspired follow-up ideas aimed at fostering creative experimentation and cross-sector collaboration.

“These tools have proven that we can be much more effective in exploring new opportunities for future business models in a workshop setting,”
— Tim Leinert, Business Developer, Skellefteå Science City

As next steps, the team plans to further develop a collection of effective AI prompts and experiment with visual AI tools to turn written concepts into interactive graphics and pitch decks. These learnings will help refine how AI can support future workshops and accelerate project development.

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