Each Tuesday the Sport for Business Sports tech Corner highlights areas in the development of sport and technology that are relevant to the commercial world of Irish sport and the sporting interests of Irish business. The Sport for Business Sports Tech Corner is supported by our friends in AIB.
ORRECO SPORTS SCIENCE SUMMIT PUSHING BOUNDARIES
Irish sports science specialists Orreco are hosting the first Orreco Science Summit in Galway today.
The business, based in Sligo and founded by Doctors Brian Moore and Andrew Hodgson, has developed a strong name for itself in the field of blood monitoring and performance at an elite level.
The theme of today’s event is ‘The 2020 Athlete’ and a variety of speakers will be exploring questions such as whether there is a ceiling to what can be achieved in physical terms.
NUI Galway’s Insight Centre and St Mary’s University in Twickenham are partners for the event.
“This summit is our commitment to the principles of getting better, challenging our own thinking and looking for innovative solutions to accelerate recovery, optimize performance and prolong athletes’ careers,” said Moore.
“We also believe that progress we make with elite athletes may in time have benefits to us all.”
NIKE KNIGHT PHILANTHROPY AIDING SCIENCE
Nike Founder Phil Knight has announced that he and his family are to commit $500 million to the creation of a new science complex at the University of Oregon.
The philanthropic gift will be phased in ten instalments of $50 million each year and be the cornerstone of what the University hopes will be a $1 Billion fundraising drive.
The Knight Science Campus will focus on life sciences including biochemistry and biology and the first tranche will enable the hiring of 30 research scientists and the bringing to Oregon of 550 initial students and post doctoral researchers.
US Colleges do fundraising on an industrial scale in comparison to Ireland and the use of sport as a means to encourage philanthropy will be one of the sessions as part of a new Sport for Business education group being established in the coming weeks.
REEBOK CREATES LIQUID PRINTED FOOTWEAR
Reebok is claiming a breakthrough in production with the launch of a new ‘Liquid Factory’ that enables the 3D printing of running shoes.
It is claimed this will dramatically shorten production times and lead to greater innovation in the production of equipment.
The liquid used in the shoes printing has been created for reebok by German chemicals company BASF.
“Reebok has a long history of innovation and our commitment to looking outside our industry to drive this forward is big part of that,” said Reebok President Matt O’Toole.
“The Reebok Future team was created to innovate not only the products we make, but also the process by which we make them.”
“We’re looking at how we can bring speed, customization and enhanced product performance to the process of creating footwear – and Liquid Factory is a very exciting development in this area.”
The first shoes were created in the US and a limited edition run of 300 is being sold at a cost of a little over €150.
While the printing process is an interesting one the real revolution will surely come when the cost of 3D printing comes down so that Lifestyle Sports and Elverys can have a printer on site in their marquee stores and a shoe can be created to fit an individuals feet.
We look forward to writing about that in the Sport for Business Sports Tech Corner in the years to come, or maybe it will be months…
Sport for Business’ Sports Tech Corner is supported by AIB
