Canada is poised to be a leader in the global digital economy, but must do more to support content creation, according to a new report by the Entertainment Software Association of Canada.

‘While technological infrastructure is clearly important… content and content creation [are] central to the digital economy’s future prospects,’ said the group’s executive director, Danielle LaBossière Parr, in a statement. ‘Content drives technology adoption, and we strongly urge the government to include content industries as a central pillar of its digital economy strategy.’

Content issues that need to be addressed include copyright reform, says ESAC.

The study follows the recent Speech from the Throne, in which the federal government said it would develop and launch a strategy to help the country become more successful and competitive on the world stage in this area. ESAC’s paper looks at issues and solutions for Canada’s video game industry, which all hang on developing and commercializing its content.

The paper also nods to the importance of game production on the Canadian economy (which currently employs north of 14,000 individuals in a variety of science- and creative-based jobs), of attracting and retaining foreign workers, and creating faster broadband infrastructures for developing and distributing digital projects that are more affordable and accessible.

ESAC reports that Canada has the third most successful video game industry in the world, after the U.S. and Japan, while developers and publishers across the nation generate more than $2 billion in annual revenues.

‘Canada has the potential to emerge as a world leader provided that we adopt forward-thinking strategies to increase our competitiveness and enact policies to support our digital industries,’ adds LaBossière Parr.

Other points raised include developing and retaining talent in all fields, such as math and science, but also highlighting the importance of creative studies in art, animation and visual effects, to name a few.