Chris Van der Kuyl

Chris is Chairman of 4J Studios, the developers of Minecraft: Console Edition and one of Scotland's leading entrepreneurs.  Born in Dundee, Chris has lived his whole life in the city.

"Dundee's a melting pot of my cultures - as my family proves. During the Second World War, Dundee was home to Europe's largest submarine base. Both my grandfathers ended up here during the war: my Dutch grandfather escaped on a submarine, ended up here and stayed, marrying a Dundee girl. The other was Polish - he escaped at Dunkirk and made his way to Dundee." 

"I think Dundee's digital boom was sparked by the accessibility of technology. I've been interested in computers from an early age and that was partly down to being in the right place at the right time. Spectrums were being made at the city's Timex factory when I was young, and they were cheap and readily available. Everyone I knew owned one, and I think a young games programming scene developed out of that."

"I think there's a fourth 'J' to add to Dundee's jute, jam and journalism reputation - joysticks. That's how I came up with the name for 4J Studios - a game development studio I set up in 2005. The city is already home to a hugely successful games industry but I think it also has the potential to become a real global centre for both digital business and science." 

"There's an innovative spirit in Dundee. I think there's actually a mentality which has been around throughout the history of the city. We work with what we've got. Traders have always come here and exchanged whatever goods they could. Now it seems to me that, through the university's groundbreaking work and the digital industries, we're trading knowledge." 

"Dundee's universities have true global vision. I think both the University of Dundee and Abertay are leading the way for the city by the fact they're aiming high and investing in their ambitions. I think that vision has the potential to generate real confidence for the city - something that's hugely important for our future. They also provide local businesses with a fantastic pool of talent - it's great to have such phenomenal resources right on our doorstep."