Like many other areas of life, amateur sports will be digitized more and more over the next few years. The aim is to promote quality and thus enjoy the movement. Salzburg Research has examined the potentials, opportunities and challenges of the new economic and innovation field “Digital Sports” for companies in the sports, leisure and wellness industry in the Alpine region.

The cost-effective diffusion of wearable technologies and the possibility of personalized data analysis through the Internet of Things create new applications. The sports industry is currently showing how digitization is radically changing existing products and services and addressing new target groups. The focus is on people who are interested in an active and athletic lifestyle, but do not necessarily participate in competitive competitions or professional sports activities.

The new business and information field Digital Sports has the potential to respond to changing customer needs. In addition, the traditional competitive strength of manufacturing companies in the sports, leisure and wellness sectors in the Alpine region can be consolidated and expanded through technological innovations, new digital sports services and business models. The aim of this study is to help sports companies to orient themselves in this rapidly changing environment. In total, three problem areas and seven corresponding fields of action for the development of the digital sports value network in the Alpine area were identified. For each field of action, concrete measures are recommended in the study.

Elisabeth Häusler, Veronika Hornung-Prähauser, Bernhard Schrempf: Digital Sports. Welches Potenzial, Chancen und Herausforderungen stecken im Wirtschafts- und Innovationsfeld Digital Sports für Unternehmen der Sport-, Freizeit- und Wellnessindustrie im Alpenraum? Explorative Studie erstellt mit Unterstützung der Wirtschaftsabteilung Land Salzburg. („Elisabeth Häusler, Veronika Hornung-Prähauser, Bernhard Schrempf: Digital Sports. What potential, opportunities and challenges are there in the economic and innovation field of Digital Sports for companies in the sports, leisure and wellness industry in the Alps? Explorative study prepared with the support of the Economic Department Land Salzburg.

Link to the study in German (free download): https://srfg.at/digital-sports