130 projects reveal RDI priorities for sports

The Finnish RDI network for sports (Suomalaisen urheilun TKI-verkosto) brings together operating environments, educational and research institutions, and companies in the field of sports. New RDI projects that will develop sports are created through collaboration. The aim is to attract new participants, companies in particular, to the network. “We also need innovations that come from outside the sports bubble,” says project promoter Tomi Vänttinen from the Finnish Institute of High Performance Sport KIHU.

Launched in the autumn of 2023, the Finnish RDI network for sports is a joint project of KIHU and the University of Jyväskylä to produce a report on current RDI activities in the field of sports and related development needs in Finland. The aim is to create a network for sports research, development and innovation activities that brings together actors. This goal has already been partly achieved, as 35 different actors are involved in the network and it has a website where 130 projects are already described. However, there is still plenty of work to do:

- We need to make the network more effective, and we want to invest more in concrete actions. Our goal is to increase resources for sports with the RDI activities to avoid this only remaining an isolated project, Vänttinen says.

Project manager of the University of Jyväskylä sub-project, a Senior Lecturer Johanna Ihalainen, says that the 130 projects on the website provide a comprehensive view of the current RDI activities in Finnish sports. When presented in one location, the projects also provide a quick overview of the volume and amount of funding.

- The RDI network provides hints on what kind of expertise we already have and where the potential new research openings and innovation platforms are. The snapshot also helps us to understand what kind of knowledge exists around sport. By gathering information about competence, we will also be able to assist in the reconciliation of competence requirements and information, Ihalainen says.

The network divides RDI activities in the field of sports into three sectors: performance, health and societal impact. The RDI network helps to identify areas in which RDI activities are already carried out in the field of sports and what areas need further investments.

- As the number of projects starts to increase, we will be able to profile them and highlight the focus areas of RDI activities. We have already noticed some focus areas, such as child and youth sports, knowledge-based management, artificial intelligence, sports injuries and parasports, Vänttinen explains.

A common characteristic of RDI activities in sports is that they are always based on some kind of data, such as research or measurement data. The development of data is therefore a key in the RDI activities in Finnish sports, as effective knowledge-based management is only possible through data.

Johanna Ihalainen and Tomi Vänttinen work together on the Finnish RDI network for sports (Suomalaisen urheilun TKI-verkosto). “Our objective is to bring together the right actors through the network. In our opinion, the work we do is necessary both in the whole of Finland and in Jyväskylä,” Vänttinen says.

Companies need concrete collaboration and commercially viable solutions

At present, three companies are actively involved in the network. In addition, negotiations about joining the network are ongoing with several companies. The aim is for the network to connect people and organisations to generate added value for sports and positive business impact. At present, the network is searching in particular for Finnish companies with the resources needed to carry out their own RDI activities. For the companies, the network will offer visibility and an opportunity to cooperate.

One of the companies participating in the network is Qridi Sport, a provider of digital coaching tools.

- Our products enable smooth piloting of new functions and research data. As a Finnish operator, we believe that in a small country, genuine competitive advantage can only be achieved through strong collaboration, says Toni Eskola, the COO of Qridi Sport.

Eskola knows what companies are looking for in networks: concrete collaboration and commercially viable solutions that make it possible to promote both the growth of their business and the development of the entire industry.

- From the perspective of companies, networks and projects often fail because perceiving concrete business activities through them is not possible. I believe that this RDI network has the potential to play a significant role in the development of Finnish sports. The network’s effectiveness can be further improved by allocating resources to concrete projects whose results can be directly utilised in the field, Eskola says.

In the end, networks are all about encounters and the dissemination of competence.

- Encounters are the only way to foster innovation. From our point of view, the objective of the RDI network is to promote all kinds of sports – not just competitive sports but society as a whole, Vänttinen concludes.

The innovations required by RDI activities cannot be achieved alone. This photo is from a networking event of the RDI network in April. Photo by Riku Valleala.