By Lavinia Calvert | 14 July 2017

Kiwis are no strangers to innovation. It's in our DNA. We're also a competitive bunch. We love our sport, and we play to win.  And if we don't, we keep trying and inventing new and better ways to do things.

So it shouldn't surprise anyone that innovation is alive and well in the sport sector in New Zealand.  Whether it's clever use of new technologies in yacht racing, devices, materials, nutritional aids, or apps, there's a bunch of creative and ground-breaking stuff going on here that's all designed to give athletes an edge. 

Some of the most exciting new developments were showcased at the 2017 Sport Innovation Forum held in Auckland at the end of April.  The forum brought together a wide cross-section of people - athletes, coaches, sporting organisations, business leaders, academics, and scientists - which made for the perfect opportunity to connect and cross-pollinate ideas across the sector.

I was invited to participate in the business pitch session.  Eight of us each had five minutes to tell our story. Mine was a quick-fire summary of why and how we created Gimono and Fortitude.  You can check out my slides and notes here. 

Hosted jointly by Auckland Tourism, Events and Economic Development (ATEED), High Performance Sport New Zealand (HPSNZ), and Callaghan Innovation, the forum reinforced the value of providing the right environment for the seeds of collaboration to take hold. I made some great connections on the day and have fielded a few enquiries since on potential applications for Fortitude, which is super exciting.  

Plans for the 2018 Sport Innovation Forum are already underway. If you'd like to know more, contact Bridget Davey from ATEED (bridget.davey@aucklandnz.com).

Thanks ATEED, HPSNZ, and Callaghan Innovation for a great event. I'm looking forward to participating again next year.

[Photo credits: ATEED]