October 22 – UEFA has signed three start-up businesses as part of its business innovation drive to develop new technologies and products that will significantly impact the commercial management and promotion of football and its assets.
UEFA’s Start-Up Challenge was launched in January 2019 by the governing body’s Innovation Hub – essentially an incubator for the development of the business ideas.
WSC Sports, which creates and distributes automated highlights packages for any digital platform; Formalytics, which has produced an app which allows players of all abilities and ages to monitor and improve their footballing skills; and LiveLike, which offers fans a platform to increase engagement around football matches – are the first to companies to get the opportunity to develop under UEFA’s innovation wing.
UEFA emphasises that innovation is “not just about the latest technology and the digital world” but “a cultural shift to enhance and shape the sport of the future alongside our partners, leveraging our ecosystem both in and outside the industry.”
“This is the first time that we have given start-ups the chance to become integrated into UEFA and help our organisation explore exciting new pathways,” said UEFA’s director of financial sustainability and research Andrea Traverso.
”At UEFA, we need to create platforms for innovation, research and development as well as supporting the use of modern technologies and use of data in order to improve our business working model and create better engagement with our fans.”
“Being a part of the UEFA innovation journey gave LiveLike an inside look at the challenges and future ambitions of a global organisation such as UEFA,” said Miheer Walavalkar, the CEO of LiveLike.
“Through collaborations between international associations like UEFA and companies like LiveLike, we can work towards the best possible future for fans and the sporting industry as a whole.”
UEFA says its Innovation Hub is constantly on the lookout for new partners to help it stay one step ahead of the latest footballing trends and is always open to approaches through its Open Innovation Portal.
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