Excellent international line-up of participants in Air Quality & Sport Challenge
6 March 2022 - It’s official! More than 20 start-ups, established companies, academics and organisations from Switzerland and abroad are participating in the first ever Air Quality & Sport Challenge. The aim is to generate viable and creative solutions, which can be leveraged by international sport federations, sport event organisers, mountain resorts and athletes to tackle climate change.
Following the application deadline earlier this month, all participants gathered for the first time this week to present their solutions to the Challenge organisers and supporters during a one-minute pitch. All of the proposed concepts address one of the following pressing topics:
Measure and mitigate the effect of poor air quality on athletes:
This includes solutions to ensure Air Quality information is available and useful for decision making in real time for recreational and professional athletes. Wearable technologies, bio- health solutions and other simple solutions are welcome.Solutions that clean polluted air and/or reduce air pollution:
This refers to indoor and outdoor sport venues of all sizes, with scalable and affordable solutions.Rethink mobility:
This applies to major sport events and mountain resorts (e.g. zero emission vehicles, smart traffic management etc.).
Discover the full list of selected participants.
The Challenge is organised by ThinkSport, together with the Sustainable Sport Lab (SSL) and the Sustainable Mountain Alliance (SMA), and supported by prestigious stakeholders, including the International Olympic Committee, World Athletics, Formula E, UCI and ENGSO. The supporters used the first meeting to explain to the participants their strong interest in the outcomes of the Challenge and what they have been already doing to date to tackle air quality issues.
Next for the participants: leveraging the online network accelerator provided by the organisers to receive advice by industry experts before getting ready for the final pitch in front of an expert panel on 26 April. The ten best finalists will be invited to present their smart solutions at THE SPOT, ThinkSport’s international sport and innovation flagship event, on 17 and 18 May in Lausanne.
About the Sustainable Sport Lab
The Sustainable Sport Lab (SSL) is an international programme powered by Sport and Sustainability International (SandSI) that explores and engages sustainable innovations that advocate for high-impact systematic change across the global sport sector and foster collaboration among sporting entities to power this change. Click here for more information.
About ThinkSport
ThinkSport brings together bright minds from different sectors involved with sport and physical activity. We facilitate new partnerships, knowledge sharing, creative thinking and innovative projects - aimed at driving progress in sport. Check this link to know more about it.
About the Sustainable Mountain Alliance
The Sustainable Mountain Alliance’s vision is to facilitate the transition to sustainable sport and tourism in the mountain environment. The SMA provides a collaborative platform that identifies and supports inspirational, innovative solutions and a regenerative economy in the mountains. Click here to learn more.
