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THE SPOT kicks off with announcement of new sport incubator for start-ups

PRESS RELEASE: 15 May 2018
A new incubator for start-ups specialised in sport-related fields will be established to further stimulate the unique sport ecosystem in Lausanne and the region, it was announced today during the opening of THE SPOT, a pioneering new event that aims to galvanise innovation in sport. 

The incubator will be jointly created by the Canton of Vaud, the City of Lausanne, ThinkSport, the University of Lausanne (UNIL) and the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Lausanne (EPFL), in connection with the Smart Move academic network.

The news, which was revealed byPhilippe Leuba, State Councillor and Head of the Department of Economy and Innovation of Sport (DEIS) of the Canton of Vaud, was timely indeed, coming just moments before 40 start-ups took to the stage at THE SPOT for an international Start-up Battle. Many key players of the sports industry are currently in town for the inaugural edition of the sold-out event.

While additional details of the initiative will be released at a later stage, the move is seen as a demonstration of the strong political will to accelerate the growth and success of entrepreneurial activities in sport and physical activity.  

Anna Hellman, Director of ThinkSport, said on the occasion of today’s announcement: “We are excited to be part of this new initiative, which ties in perfectly with ThinkSport’s aim to facilitate new partnerships, knowledge sharing, creative thinking and innovative projects. And in doing so it will drive progress in sport. Clearly, the creativity and smart ideas from start-ups often offer attractive solutions to sport organisations and the wider sports industry.”

ThinkSport was launched in 2016as the first network to bring together the wide variety of sports-related expertise and excellence in Lausanne, the canton of Vaud, greater Switzerland and beyond. Since its launch, ThinkSport’s services have continually evolved. It first created an inventory of allcompanies and organisations working in or with sport and identified related projects, educational programmes and job offers. Second, ThinkSport offered to support the initiatives of its network by endorsing events, helping to find project partners, etc. Subsequently, ThinkSport created its own event, THE SPOT, to gather experts from a variety of sectors to help drive innovation in sport. The creation of the new incubator is the logical next step to building stronger ties to young entrepreneurs in sport-related fields and help them thrive.

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