Editorial: Danish Sportstech Going for International Top Class While Strengthening Sports Associations

By Charlotte Bach Thomassen, chairman in DGI, and Hans Natorp, chairman in DIF.

Danish sportstech is booming.

The number of Danish sportstech-companies has been increasing steadily over the past years and they are evolving fast in a close and giving collaboration between the business community and the sports federations.

Among other things, this is the result of a focused effort by DIF Innovation Lab and DGI Impact, who work dedicated to helping entrepreneurs and startups within sports technology get off the ramp with their new ideas.

The trend is great and important. Innovative sportstech solutions are quickly gaining ground in the global market, which has created a gigantic sports industry with almost limitless growth potential.

The global market for sportstech reached 18 billion dollars in 2021 despite the covid pandemic, according to the international analytics agency ‘Research and Markets’. And the valuation is expected to surpass 40 billion dollars by 2026. The numbers are mindblowing and an indicator of a development that is only going in one direction.

At DIF and DGI, we see a huge potential in sportstech as a Danish position of strength. Sports are highly organized in Denmark and we are one of the most sports active countries with a high degree of participation in clubs. At the same time, we’re in front when it comes to Danish design.

That’s a strong cocktail. A cocktail we both can and should translate into innovative technology that adds value to each individual athlete as well as sports associations and the companies behind the solutions.

A wide range of Danish tech companies has already been pushed in the right direction with coaching, user tests and access to the Danish sports associations as well as the international export market. We believe that Danish sports shall play a role in shaping sportstech solutions of the future, as both the sport and businesses benefit from a strong collaboration – and because it has the potential to motivate more people to live an active life.

For that reason, DIF and DGI is also a part of this year’s TechBBQ, where sportstech has a designated area for the first time ever. A clear sign of the boom currently happening in Danish sportstech.