Deputy Secretary Bruce Andrews Addresses Entertainment Software Industry on Commerce Department Initiatives to Help American Businesses and Entrepreneurs Stay Competitive​

The briefing, which was co-hosted by the Congressional Caucus for Competitiveness in Entertainment Technology (E-TECH Caucus), focused on trends in the video game industry, including how digital and creative economies are driving our economic future.

 

During the event on Capitol Hill, Deputy Secretary Andrews discussed Commerce Department efforts to make American businesses and entrepreneurs more competitive by giving them the tools to succeed, including supporting job-training initiatives, strengthening innovation through public-private partnerships, and unleashing more government data.

 

Deputy Secretary Andrews attributed much of the entertainment industry’s success to its commitment to training and maintaining a skilled workforce. The Department of Commerce has made skills training a department-wide priority for the first time and, in partnership with the White House and the Department of Labor, is committed to advancing job-driven training initiatives and scaling up successful models like that of the video game industry.

 

The Department of Commerce is also committed to developing public-private partnerships with the entertainment software industry. Deputy Secretary Andrews pointed to the Louisiana Digital Media Center in Baton Rouge, LA, as proof of the value of these partnerships. The center, funded in part by a grant from Commerce’s Economic Development Administration, houses Electronic Arts’ (EA) commercial video game operations, along with Louisiana State University’s Center for Computation and Technology. EA expects to employ anywhere from 400 to 600 workers at the facility in the coming years.

 

Deputy Secretary Andrews also spoke about how technology industries are using government data in creative and unexpected ways. For example, NOAA already releases 2 terabytes daily of weather and climate data, powering a multibillion dollar weather industry. As America’s Data Agency, Commerce is committed to unleashing more of that data – the remaining 17 terabytes to be exact – so that the video game and other industries can make use of the untapped potential.