UEFA Innovation Hub partners with two start-ups
Wednesday, February 8, 2023
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The Waste Transformers and MOVE.AI have entered an incubation phase with UEFA for the remainder of the season
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UEFA has today announced a partnership with two start-ups The Waste Transformers and MOVE.AI as part of the UEFA Innovation Hub’s mission to address key challenges and leverage new opportunities in football through innovative solutions.
In this incubation phase, which will last until the end of this season in June, the UEFA Innovation Hub will test and analyse the creative solutions that these companies offer in the domains of circular economy and fan engagement, with the potential for future additional collaboration.
Andrea Traverso, UEFA director of financial sustainability and research
“We are looking forward to working with The Waste Transformers and MOVE.AI as a part of UEFA’s strong commitment to finding innovative solutions. The Waste Transformers has impressed us with their solution to foster circular economy within stadiums, training facilities and communities that surround them. MOVE.AI has developed a very innovative motion capture technology that has a disruptive potential within the fan engagement, e-gaming and digital sectors. In an ever-evolving environment, it’s more important than ever that we remain at the forefront of innovation by constantly monitoring and leveraging opportunities for the continuous improvement of European football.”
The Waste Transformers is a Dutch company that specialises in de-centralised waste management that turns on-site organic waste into value streams like compost, fertiliser and renewable energy. The purpose of the incubation process is to adapt their products for stadiums and municipal sports facilities that could transform waste management from a cost centre into a revenue opportunity, as well as to turn football facilities into sustainable assets for the community.
“We are truly delighted that we will embark on this journey with UEFA,” said CEO of The Waste Transformers Lara van Druten. “This collaboration is a milestone in fostering a smart, green approach to solving the challenge of food waste. We look forward to the deep dive into the world of football and collaboratively defining with the UEFA Innovation Hub the best way to co-power stadiums with their own good energy.”
MOVE.AI is an English high-fidelity motion data capture technology company. The purpose of the incubation process is to assess how their technology can be used for fan engagement features as well as for the technical aspects of football.
“Football doesn't exist without motion - nor does Move.ai! UEFA’s vision for the future of how the game can be interacted with in different ways by fans, be it interactive experiences in person, in virtual worlds, through social feeds or enhanced broadcast experiences, aligns perfectly with our vision of how sports content will evolve,” said Anthony Ganjou, Co-Founder of MOVE.AI.
The start-ups will benefit from UEFA’s internal expertise, industry knowledge, vast network, visibility and the potential for implementation in European football.
More information about the UEFA Innovation Hub can be found here.