Andorra participated in the GSIC Summit 2023, an event organized by the Global Sports Innovation Center by Microsoft that gathered in the Wizink Center in Madrid some of the leaders and international experts in the industries of sports and technology from 31 countries. Representing Andorra were the directors of Andorra Business and Andorra Research and Innovation, Judit Hidalgo and Vanesa Arroyo, who presented the Andorra Sports Innovation Hub which encompasses the work lines, programs and projects related to the sector. In addition, Aleix Prat, from ICONIC, presented the future high-performance center for sports professionals that is under construction at the Port d’Envalira.
Hidalgo highlighted that “these international and sectorial summits are of great importance for us in order to connect with companies, startups as well as entities such as ours, to whom we can provide information on what is happening in Andorra and how they may take advantage of the opportunities offered by our country”. Along these lines, Arroyo explained “it allows us to share experience with other International professionals and connect research and innovation with high impact sectors such as sports. Not only with the incorporation of new technologies like artificial intelligence, but also with projects that foment sustainability”.
The Andorran representatives also held meetings with other participating public entities, such as the ones from Ireland and Singapore, and participated in international work sessions in which various real-life cases designed by the attendees were analyzed. The pilot tests being conducted within the environment of a LivingLab with startups such as Evix were also explained. Furthermore, journalists from media outlets like La Razón, Marca and Movistar interviewed the Andorran directors.
The general director of the GSIC, Iris Córdoba highlighted that “Andorra has explained its strategy to us and as every year has presented new projects. In this case, the high-performance center ICONIC that will become a reference in sports medicine and Health, as well as the country´s opportunities and facilities to welcome entrepreneurs.” Technological innovation, blockchain, artificial intelligence and immersive experiences serve as an example in explaining how technologies are transforming and developing user´s experiences.
The GSIC is a reference event in terms of technological innovation in the sports industry where the latest advances in Technology and their application in the field of sport are treated. This edition gathered over 200 attendees from 31 countries such as Singapore, Australia, the United States, the Arab Emirates, France, Italy, Portugal and Spain. Some of the sector´s most important brands were also present like FIFA, La Liga, Real Madrid, the US Soccer Federation, the Power League, the Global Esports Federation and the European Space Agency.