The Call
More than a declaration, the “Lisboa Call on Sport Innovation” is a call to tangible and meaningful actions. The organic movement is the heart and the fuel of this initiative. Subscribe the Lisboa Call now!
This “Lisboa Call on Sport Innovation” is presented at the “Seminar on Sport Innovation – Beyond Business as Usual”, 16-17 June, under the Portuguese Presidency of the Council of the European Union 2021. It recognizes the need to promote a cooperative and concerted approach among states, public and private institutions, sport movement and all relevant stakeholders.
The “Lisboa Call on Sport Innovation” seeks to exploit the sports sector to help address the challenges faced by the EU during the post-COVID-19 recovery. It takes a cross-sectoral perspective to create innovative solutions supporting a return to sport, an increase in participation and health-enhancing physical activity, as well as growth in the economy. The Call will seek to promote policy, build capacity, share best practice, and strengthen cooperation.
Innovation can play an essential role in post-COVID-19 recovery and supports the objectives of the European Digital Strategy and the European Green Deal. Innovation in sport is linked to increased resiliency, employment, and economic growth. It provides the impulse for adaptation of the sport sector when responding to the challenges society faces across the health, digital, social, economic, and environmental sectors.
Innovation is necessary for sport to adapt to changes in society and to influence the way sport is viewed, practiced, and organized. Additionally, sport is also a driver of innovation in other sectors such as technology for health, wearable technology, and tourism. Innovation is an integral part of sport development in its fullness and all its dimensions.
Underlying this action, we now invite all those who care for the promotion of sport and physical activity, to come together towards enabling innovation and knowledge diffusion, while building stronger and more meaningful relationships, by supporting and sharing the “Lisboa Call on Sport Innovation”.
WE, THE UNDERSIGNED CITIZENS, STATES, ORGANISATIONS, AND INSTITUTIONS, WITHIN OUR RESPECTIVE COMPETENCIES:
Looking into the future and taking present actions to point the way forward for the coming years, we are ready to commit and share responsibilities, in each of our activity contexts, to the creation of an organic movement, and to address the challenges and opportunities of innovation in sport.
We will harness this unique opportunity for the following: to develop and boost innovative approaches to promoting and raising awareness about sport innovation; to foster opportunities to increase citizens' participation in sport and physical activity; to enhance socio-economic development through sport; and to address present and potential future challenges, thereby making the sport sector more sustainable and resilient.
It is time to “walk the talk" and use sport innovation to make a difference in the lives of all those involved in sport and physical activity.