London leads the way for SportTech
London Sport chief executive Tove Okunniwa explains why the capital is well poised to become a global leader in the rapidly growing SportTech sector.
To say that technology is the future of sport is really a cliché now…
…in fact, if we continue to talk about technology as a silver bullet of the future for organisations like us that focus on helping people to live more physically active lives, we run the risk of forgetting that technology should, in fact, be part of the present for our efforts to get people moving more often.
The progress made in the past 12 months is striking. From an under-explored and under-supported tech vertical, SportTech, FitTech and HealthTech has emerged as one of the most vibrant, creative corners of the technology market. And with that spirit of innovation is coming real support from organisations, like London Sport, tasked with supporting people to do have a stronger connection with physical activity and sport.
As recently as 2015, tech incubators and accelerators dedicated to SportTech, FitTech and HealthTech start-ups were near unknown in the UK. Now, three – London Sport’s Sport Tech Hub, ukactive’s Active Lab and the Open Data Institute’s OpenActive Accelerator – are operating exclusively in the space, and other major initiatives, like the Arsenal Innovation Lab, are bringing new and different opportunities to market.
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