UEFA, the Greater London Authority and commercial partners of the Champions League celebrate the success of Champions Innovate
Friday, May 31, 2024
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The three participating projects of this first ever edition of Champions Innovate – each conducted by a startup and supported by a Commercial Partner of the UEFA Champions League – were presented last night at London City Hall as they showcased the promising results of their innovative solutions.
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Champions Innovate, UEFA's pioneering programme focused on applying innovation to accelerate public policies chosen by the host city of the 2024 UEFA Champions League final, unveiled the outcomes of three groundbreaking projects that aimed at involving fans to minimise the environmental impact of the event. These projects were developed in collaboration with the Greater London Authority, commercial partners, and innovative startups.
The three projects started a year ago when UEFA, alongside the Greater London Authority, identified areas aimed at accelerating sustainable actions through the power of the UEFA Champions League Final in the city of London. The ambition was to go beyond what happens on the pitch and leave a lasting positive impact in the host city.
The final showcase event marked the culmination of months of collaborative work. In the past months, the three projects have benefited from mentoring from experts from all stakeholders involved, exclusive experimentation grounds, as well as great visibility for their solution. They will now have the opportunity to be deployed before and during the 2024 UEFA Champions League final.
Rockstar Energy Drink (PepsiCo) and Pavegen collaborated on deploying an energy-generating kinetic dance floor at the Champions League Festival in Trafalgar Square. This interactive feature converts attendees into active participants, as the energy they generate will help power both the microphone and DJ booth at the Friday Night Show tonight (31 May).
Just Eat Takeaway.com and My Emissions teamed up to conduct carbon assessments and labelling of the food menus served onsite at the Champions Festival food trucks, at concession points and hospitality areas at Wembley Stadium during the UEFA Champions League final, to deliver sustainable food choices for football fans.
Mastercard and Pledgeball developed the Champions Innovate Pledge League, an online platform engaging football fans to pledge actionable steps towards addressing climate change in the context of the UEFA Champions League Final.
The three solutions were all presented in front of a qualified audience of representatives from the European football ecosystem, international sports organisations as well as from the London business community. A specific recognition was given to My Emissions because of its high degree of innovation and exciting potential for scalability.
“Champions Innovate has proven to be an incredible vehicle for expanding the scope of the UEFA Champions League final. By embracing collaboration between a wide range of stakeholders – including UEFA, the Greater London Authority, Commercial Partners and startups – we have inspired the creation of innovative ideas, formed valuable partnerships, and engaged a broader audience with our commitment to creating a legacy in the host city and in the wider European football ecosystem.”
Champions Innovate to continue next year in Munich
Champions Innovate will return next season in Munich for the UEFA Champions League final 2025. UEFA will work in partnership with the City of Munich and the German Football Association (DFB), with next year’s challenges focusing on the promotion of physical activity.
Note to media:
For more information about the Champions Innovate programme and future initiatives, please visit our website here.
