The Global Sports Innovation Center powered by Microsoft (GSIC), the European Platform for Sport Innovation (EPSI) and Trentino Sviluppo joined forces with an aim to provide the sports innovation community across the industry with an added value.
Together we have launched a series of European Sport Tech Conversations, exclusive online events that will help to disseminate knowledge on the most important and trending topics of the sports industry, provided by the most relevant stakeholders and experts in big data, IoT, blockchain, eSports, Cybersecurity, fan engagements and much more.
The European Sport Tech Conversations are an intellectual exploration, an innovation-driven reflection and a forward-looking future-oriented vision for our eco-system. This is a space for the dialogue between the speakers and participants where everyone can share their points of view, their expertise and experiences.
The first session was introduced by an explanation of the philosophy of the European Sport Tech Conversations and by a presentation of the three organization. The GSIC’s General Manager, Iris Córdoba, offered a Master Class on Digital Transformation.
The next conversation will take place on June 20th – for more information please contact sofiya.goncharova@sport-gsic.com or francesco.anesi@trentinosviluppo.it
BIO OF THE SPEAKER:
Born in Buenos Aires, Iris has a Degree in Law from the University of Buenos Aires, a Master’s Degree in Administration and Public Policy from the INAP-University of Alcalá, and a Master’s Degree in Digital Economics from the School of Industrial Organization. He has obtained the research proficiency of the PhD in Applied Economics from the University of Alcalá.
She has developed her professional career linked to the promotion of entrepreneurship, and support of small and medium enterprises from the public-private perspective, both in Latin America and in Spain with a major emphasis on cultural industries, Spanish economy, sports, and entertainment industry.
Since the beginning of 2015, she has set up and runs the Global Sports Innovation Center powered by Microsoft, a collaborative initiative between the public, private and academic sectors, which aims to promote innovation in the sports industry, creating an ecosystem that is currently composed of more than 200 companies and institutions that in a coordinated way generate synergies and value projects in the sector.
Actively participates as a speaker, mentor and jury in startup competitions and in events linked to sports and technology on national and international levels such as Sports Analytics World Series, The SPOT, TEKAN TEN by Asics, WFStartcup by GSIC, among the others.
She is an active member in various forums, such as the CSD woman, the Sports Committee of the Spanish Association of Women Marketing, Soccer in Words from the Miguel de Cervantes Virtual Library or Engagement de Mujeres y Cía. Iris is also a member of World Football Summit Advisory Board. In 2018 she entered the list of Top 100 Famale Leades of Spain in the category Revelation and Entrepreneurs. At the end of 2018, Metadeporte magazine named iris Córdoba one of the 20 most influential women in the sports industry in Spain.
ABSTRACT OF THE CONVERSATION
The first European Sport Tech Conversation focused on the Digital Transformation of sports entities and the evolution of the main technological trends of the industry.
Iris Córdoba explained the latest changes in the world’s economy and society that are bringing a plenty of opportunities for industries like tourism, infrastructure and entertainment, and sports are certainly a way of entertainment. She also overviewed new business models that appeared in the industry with the arrival of the digital. There are some important demographic aspects as well: people are moving from rural places to big cities which once again creates new opportunities for businesses.
This is a very important aspect because not only the sports organizations have to understand their fan base, but they also have to bear in mind that the sponsors from whom they get a bunch of revenue, are also looking to connect with those digital natives, so they will associate their partnerships with clubs, teams and leagues that are able to connect with those younger generations.
Mobility, IoT, new ways of interaction between human beings with Social Media. Everything available at the cloud and using Big Data as the new gold.
QUINTESSENTIAL BIBLIOGRAPHY ON RECOMMENDED READINGS
- GSIC (future publication/forthcoming), “Digital Transformation of the sports industry in 2025: Envisioning the future”, 2019.
- ASOIF, “The Future of Global Sport”, 2019 – https://www.asoif.com/sites/default/files/download/future_of_global_sport.pdf
- Sport Innovation Lab, “A New Age of Sports”, 2019 https://www.sportsilab.com/#get-report
- ESPI, “Strategic Research & Innovation Agenda 2016-2021”https://epsi.eu/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/EPSI-Strategic-Agenda-web.pdf
- Newzoo, Global eSports Market Report. 2019.
- Deloitte, The stadium experience. Keeping sports fans engaged – and loyal, 2019.
- PwC, Sports industry: lost in transition?, 2018
- Goldman Sachs, The world of eSports. From wild west to mainstream. Goldman Sachs, 2017.
BACKGROUND NOTE ON THE THREE ORGANISATION:
The European Platform for Sport Innovation (EPSI) is a non-for-profit European association (ASBL) located in Brussels (BE). EPSI is created with the aim to initiate and kick off activities among its members to respond to regional, national and European industrial and societal challenges. EPSI is a Membership-based networking organisation of Universities, Research Institutes, Clusters, Associations, Federations, Industries and SMEs which focuses on innovation in the area of physical activity/sport, related to Leisure, transport, education, tourism, environment, construction and health in Europe.
Trentino Sviluppo https://www.trentinosviluppo.it/en/Home.aspx is the regional development agency of Trentino (Italy). We focus on sport and sport tech in particular on the basis of a triple/quadruple helix approach with our stakeholders. Education, research, entrepreneurship, innovation and technologies are part of our DNA. We have articulated a strategy for the creation of a Cluster Sport, we are active members of European platforms like ClusSport and EPSI and we profoundly believe that we could surf together the wave of innovation in sport. Let our European conversation begin!
GSIC https://sport-gsic.com/ – Global Sports Innovation Center powered by Microsoft (GSIC) is a non-profit association supported by Microsoft Sports Team, that brings together all types of sport entities (clubs, federations, associations), institutions, technology companies, from startups to corporations, research organizations, investors and key figures in the sports industry to provide them with values. To do so, we focus our activities and services on 4 main points: entrepreneurship, business network, applied research and showcase. Based in Madrid, GSIC now has more than 200 partners in 30 countries around the world.
PHILOSOPHY OF THE EUROPEAN SPORT TECH CONVERSATION:
The European Sport Tech Conversations are an intellectual exploration, an innovation-driven reflection and a forward-looking future-oriented vision for our eco-system. We aim – through the establishment of these virtual meetings – to create a (new?) common language on innovation and sport. Through the creation of a common language, we aim to develop a Sport/Innovation Community.
Methodologically, nomina sunt consequentia rerum (“names are a consequence of things”). So, our purpose is to articulate a conversation, European and inter-national in form and focused on Sport Tech in substance.
The European Sport Tech Conversations are an open space for dialogueand reflection– but also a place of action, where new initiatives could be launched in an informal setting. We welcome every participant to share his/her story, his/her ideas and his/her vision. If somebody wishes to take formal commitment vis-à-vis our community, he/she is very welcome to do so at an individual or at an institutional level.
We are conscious that Miles’ Law applies and it states: “Where you stand depends on where you sit”. Every participant has his/her stand point in the universe and in the Sport Tech eco-system. Every participant has a peculiar view on the matter we discuss and it will be complemented by one/two other views. Additionally, there will always be two discussant (one from Trentino Sviluppo and one from GSIC) who will animate the debate and enlarge our perspective.
In every Conversation, we are seeking to correct the gender unbalances of our world in general and of the sport world in particular. For this reason and consequently, we have tried as much as possibleto have a gender-balanced approach to the debate. We also wish to stimulate female leaders to enter the discussion (in particular) and all members of our eco-system to feel at home (in general).
The European Sport Tech Conversation are born from a collaboration between Trentino Sviluppo (Italy), the Global Sport Innovation Centre powered by Microsoft (Spain) and the European Platform for Sport Innovation (Belgium).
All members of the 3 Communities (Trentino Sviluppo, GSIC and EPSI) are invited to participate – but the formula of engagement is open and open-ended. All potential participants who wish to follow and actively engage in the Conversations are kindly invited to register and matriculate via a special registration form. GSIC provided the technology via the platform Teams.
Potentially and hypothetically, the conversations are recorded with the aim and with the hope of the curators to create an e-book in the future. To be continued…let the conversation start, flourish and prosper!