Driving innovation with sports
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OPINION
MATERIAL MATTERS also enhancing performance and entertainment. A sport should never be dictated by the technology that is used by the athletes; instead it should be proactive in deciding what technology is used and for what reason, with the goal of providing athletes with the tools necessary to perform at their best.
Driving innovation with sports By Jan-Anders Mansson
Introduction
Sports have the ability to captivate people; they strive to display honest values, champion good sportsmanship, and, if done right, provide a safe, secure, and fair environment for those involved. Technological innovation is key in promoting healthy, fair, and safe sports. But, if left to its own devices, it can also lead to unequal access and increased risk for injury.
The Olympic Agenda 2020 spirit
In the world of sports, the Olympic Games are often regarded as the pinnacle. Governed by the International Olympic Committee (IOC), the Games provide a stage on which sports are tested and exhibited for the world to see. Therefore, the IOC has a responsibility to uphold a set of guidelines and values that its stakeholders should strive to meet. The IOC’s Agenda 2020 preaches a strong set of values. It includes 40 recommendations that are to serve as a strategic roadmap for the future of the Olympic Movement (see Figure 1). It ensures that
the IOC is safeguarding the uniqueness of the Olympic Games and strengthening sports in society. Ideas for new products and projects often flow from a source of creativity, such as the Agenda 2020, which, in turn, can create new opportunities for a vast number of other fields, from mechanical engineering to architecture, and for society as a whole. In many different areas, new technologies, such as smart sensors, 5G compatible electronics, and lightweight materials, seep into this world, and their importance in sports and society alike cannot be understated. Sports also have the unique ability to inspire healthy lifestyles in communities, countries, and even continents. They have helped mold societal structures by benefiting health organizations and inspiring grassroots movements. The ability of sports to influence and inspire society brings with it a responsibility to the sporting goods industry that should not be neglected. New technology has to remain true to the values and rules of the sport, while
Technology and sports
Technology is used to improve sports performance, such as research and development for sport equipment and apparel. Often new materials and devices are released on the playing field well before they appear in other industries. Take, for example, carbon fiber composites that were initially developed for the aerospace industry, but found their way into bikes, tennis rackets, and skis long before they made a major impact on the aerospace industry. This turnover rate of the sportperformance market is surpassed only by consumer electronics. The implementation dynamics provides great opportunities for efficient technology exchange, with mutual benefits for the industrializati
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