Is Technology Changing the Face of Sport for the Better?

On Thursday 4 November, Whitaker Institute member Professor Kieran Conboy, of the Agile and Open Innovation cluster (LERO), hosted a panel session on ‘Is Technology Changing the Face of Sport for the Better?’. Technology plays an increasingly pivotal role across almost all elite and amateur sports, with a growing assumption that those using the latest tech will inevitably emerge victorious. Fitbits, smartwatches, GPS trackers and other AI and analytics packages allow athletes to finely tune how much time they spend training and how they spend this time. There is no doubt that technology is being used to achieve marginal gains that may make the difference between winning and losing. However, there are growing concerns about over-dependence on technology resulting in fatigue and burnout, a growing obsession with metrics, and in some cases claims amongst purists that technology is ruining the game in question. This panel of leading national and international athletes and coaches discussed the latest uses of tech in sport. They also discussed the benefits but also the dark side of tech use. They outlined tips and techniques for incorporating technology in sports training and performance, drawing on their own successes and lessons learned. The final part of the panel discussed how these lessons learned from the sports industry can be applied to the use of tech in the workplace.

A recording of the event is available to watch back below.