New hub to encourage innovation in sports technologies

META and the Australian Sports Technologies Network (ASTN) have launched the META Sports Advanced Manufacturing Hub to promote innovation in sports technologies. The hub will focus on fostering innovation in technologies such as wearable devices, smart apparel, equipment, medical technologies and health products.

The global market for sports technology and equipment is around $300 billion and Australia currently has only a tiny share of that market, said James Demetriou, chairman of ASTN. “We export only $286 million in manufactured sports products but import $2 billion from overseas. The Sports Advanced Manufacturing Hub has been created to address this imbalance as there is a very real risk that Australia will get left behind if we don’t take action now.”

The hub, one of more than 10 to be launched this year, aims to provide stronger connections between SMEs, researchers and large corporations to support the development, marketing and export of Australian sports technologies, products and services worldwide to establish a global centre of advanced manufacturing sports products.

In addition to nurturing new technologies and expanding export opportunities, the hub will also work to encourage foreign investment and create employment opportunities through new commercial projects. Led by the ASTN with ongoing support from META, the hub will feature a core team working in collaboration with META and ASTN members, who will have responsibility for the development of commercial projects that can be transitioned to mass sports consumer markets domestically and internationally.

The sports technology market is dominated by America, which currently accounts for 41% of the industry, and the new partnership aims to give Australian companies the support needed to increase their market share. “We produce and export elite athletes and coaches, but when it comes to sports technology and manufacturers, we have some of the best in the world; but we need to do more to promote them globally. Through the META Sports Advanced Manufacturing Hub, we want to support an Australian industry that has, until now, been overlooked,” said Angelkovski.

“Our country is a major global player in industries such as mining and medical science, but we have so far failed to fully exploit the potential of our sports technology such as smart apparel, wearable technologies and protective wear,” said Demetriou. “We have a pipeline of projects that have overseas interest and it is the job of the Sports Advanced Manufacturing Hub to convert this interest into tangible opportunities and sell Australian innovation to the world.”

Through the META Sports Advanced Manufacturing Hub, ASTN and META members will also work together to identify ways that technology being developed for sport can be transferred across other applicable industries, such as research into fatigue on muscles or the development of protective equipment being transferred into the aged care or defence industries. Hub members will initially be drawn from META’s membership, alongside ASTN’s national network including SMEs, universities and national sporting organisations.