Understanding tech will shape the sports leaders of tomorrow

The opportunities afforded by cutting-edge technology in sport have filtered into all aspects of the industry in recent years, from broadcasting to fan experience and athlete training.

Such a trend has been highlighted by AISTS’s decision to redesign its flagship Master of Advanced Studies (MAS) in Sport Management and Technology degree. The Lausanne-based academy has earmarked technology as one of two top-tier pillars of study, alongside management, following a comprehensive review of the MAS course over the last two years.

Spearheading the technological aspect of the syllabus is one of the world’s most highly regarded researchers in the disciplines of computer and electrical engineering. Professor David Atienza Alonso, the director of the Embedded Systems Laboratory at nearby EPFL, is a pioneer in some of the most exciting spheres of modern technology, such as the Internet of Things (IoT), smart wearables and embedded machine learning.

Atienza has been involved with AISTS since 2018 and has helped to reshape the MAS course over the past couple of years. Those guiding this project have understood that the increasingly prominent role of technology within sport had to be at the centre of the syllabus if the academy were to continue to produce the leaders that sport will require in the years to come.

“From a realistic perspective, if you look at the sports revolution in the last five years, knowledge of technology and its possibilities is unavoidable,” Atienza said. “Everything is about improving performance, enhanced experience and engagement with fans, and sustainability thanks to information technology (IT). Our sports leaders need to understand how we can use tech to solve problems.”

[…]

Previous article with SportBusiness: AISTS puts integration, digital and passion at the heart of updated MAS course