Sport and Health in Action: SHIA Project Launches to Bridge Gaps through Innovation
The SHIA (Sport and Health Innovation Accelerator) project officially held its kick-off meeting at the Spanish National Sports Council, bringing together a diverse consortium dedicated to using sport as a lever for social change and health improvement. Project partners aligned on SHIA as an opportunity to transform how Europe connects education and industry to drive innovation at the intersection of health and sports.
Funded with €1.5m under the Erasmus+ programme, SHIA is a 36-month initiative coordinated by ADESP (Asociación del Deporte Español). The project unites 12 partners from 11 countries and one associated partner, including universities, civil society organisations and research institutes from across Europe.
Focus on innovation
The project bridges the gap between education, research, and industry by developing a validated innovation acceleration programme at the intersection of the health and sports sectors. To achieve this, it will launch various pilot programmes to involve over 2,100 students, professionals and 50+ projects, utilizing agile methodologies to turn academic knowledge into market-ready solutions. A unique feature of the project is the creation of “Innovation Villages”: Living labs where startups, universities, and institutional stakeholders can co-create and test innovations in real-world environments.
“SHIA is the answer to ensuring scientific evidence guides product development,” Fabián Quesada Gómez, Director General of ADESP noted. “We are not just launching a project; we are building a self-sustainable collaboration network that will foster a culture of innovation across Europe”.
The project specifically responds to European challenges such as an aging population requiring preventive health solutions and a growing digital divide in sports technology. It also prioritizes Green Transition by integrating ecoresilience and sustainability approaches across its innovation tracks, which include Tech + Digital Sports, Grassroots Sports Innovation, or Active Living
SHIA, step by step
The kick-off meeting allowed the consortium to align on the four main phases of the project:
- Phase 1 (Research): Challenge-based research and needs analysis.
- Phase 2 (Design): Developing the innovative education model and curriculum.
- Phase 3 (Validate): Field testing through an “Innovation Accelerator for Sports and Health” involving 150 participants across various pilot sites.
- Phase 4 (Scale): Establishing an operational strategy and collaborative networks to ensure EU-wide scalability.
It is a great pleasure to see such good energy among the partners in the ‘engine room’ of this project… With diversity as our strength, we are co-creating strategies and tools – from stakeholder mapping to innovation ecosystems – that will ensure every participant has the resources to excel in the evolving landscape of sport and health
Elia Racamonde, SHIA Coordinator.
What role for Sport and Citizenship?
As Europe’s leading think tank analyzing sport and public policy, Sport and Citizenship is leading the Challenge-based Research and Needs Analysis work package. Our mission is to identify needs, trends and gaps in the sport and health sectors and to build the empirical foundation for the project’s next phases. Therefore, we will ensure that the project’s results are evidence-based, aligned with EU priorities and future policy recommendations, and sustainable in the long term.
Co-funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA). Neither the European Union nor EACEA can be held responsible for them.
To learn more about the project and how to get engaged, contact:
- SHIA Project Manager: Spain Sports Global team (ADESP): spainsportsglobal@adesp.es
- SHIA Communication and Dissemination Lead: Anna Gallinat (Global Health Connector): anna@globalhealthconnector.com
Website and social media channels to come soon.
List of project partners
- Asociacion Del Deporte Espanol (ADESP)
- European Platform For Sports And Innovation (EPSI)
- Sport Et Citoyennete (3S)
- Otto-Friedrich-Universitaet Bamberg (UNI BA)
- Charles University (CU)
- Center For Health, Exercise And Sport Sciences (CHESS)
- Global Health Connector
- Institute of Entrepreneurship Development (IED)
- Systems Innovation Center Kft. (SCI)
- University Industry Innovation Network Bv (UIIN)
- Akmi Anonimi Ekpaideftiki Etairia (AKMI)
- Natsionalna Sportna Akademiya Vassil Levski (NSA)
- Cluster Sports & Technology y (Associated Partner)
