The TechSportKit project has reached an important milestone with the publication of its first major deliverable: the Survey Results and Analysis Report (D2.1).
Based on responses from 655 sport organisations across 40 countries, the report provides new insights into how digital technologies are currently being used across the sport sector, the benefits they can bring, the barriers organisations face, and the digital skills that the sport workforce will increasingly need.
The report represents the first major evidence-gathering output of TechSportKit and lays the foundations for the next stages of the project.
Digitalisation is becoming essential for sport organisations
The findings confirm that digital transformation is already affecting the way sport organisations operate.
Among respondents:
88.1% agree that digital tools and technologies are becoming essential for the effective management and functioning of sport organisations;
75.2% believe that digitalisation will significantly transform the way sport organisations operate in the coming years;
and 66.7% see potential for Artificial Intelligence to improve the way sport organisations operate.
Digital technologies are already widely used for activities such as administration, communication, marketing, participant management and data management. However, the results also show significant differences in digital maturity between organisations.
More advanced technologies, including automation, predictive analytics and specialised digital systems, remain much less widespread.
Clear benefits – but important barriers remain
For many organisations, the main benefits of digitalisation are currently practical and operational.
Respondents particularly highlighted time savings, greater operational efficiency, improved communication and better access to data and information.
At the same time, several barriers continue to limit digital transformation. The most frequently reported challenges include:
- lack of financial resources;
- insufficient digital skills among staff and volunteers;
- lack of time;
- difficulties identifying the right digital tools;
- challenges integrating different systems; and
- managing organisational change.
The results suggest that supporting digital transformation in sport will therefore require more than simply introducing new technologies. Organisations also need the skills, resources and practical support necessary to use them effectively.
A strong demand for digital skills and training
One of the clearest findings of the survey concerns the development of the sport workforce.
73% of respondents believe that sport organisations lack the digital skills required to fully benefit from digital tools and technologies.
Only 34.6% were confident that the staff and volunteers within their own organisation currently possess the digital skills necessary to perform their roles effectively.
Priority areas for skills development include digital content creation, learning and adopting new tools, Artificial Intelligence, data management and analysis, and cybersecurity.
Demand for support is also significant: 73% of responding organisations expressed an interest in future digital training or support.
Respondents particularly favoured flexible and practical learning formats, including online courses, self-paced learning, webinars, workshops and short intensive sessions.
Turning evidence into practical support for the sport sector
The D2.1 report will now directly inform the next phases of TechSportKit.
The findings will feed into further research on the digital transformation of the sport labour market, including roundtables, expert consultation and case studies. They will also support the development of a digital skills inventory and competency framework, helping to identify the competences required by sport employers, professionals and volunteers.
Finally, the results will guide the development of TechSportKit training resources, ensuring that future tools respond to the actual needs and different levels of digital maturity of sport organisations.
As the report highlights, the next challenge for the sector is not simply to adopt more technology, but to use digital tools more purposefully and connect them to clear organisational and sporting objectives.
About TechSportKit
TechSportKit – Technological Support Kit for Sport Actors is a 36-month Erasmus+ Sport project exploring and supporting the digital transformation of the European sport sector.
Coordinated by the European Association of Sport Employers (EASE), the project brings together sport employer organisations, sector bodies, higher education institutions and organisations specialising in technology, workforce development and digital learning.
The D2.1 Survey Results and Analysis Report was led by the European Observatoire of Sport and Employment (EOSE), together with the National University of Physical Education and Sports Bucharest (UNEFS) and Warsaw University of Technology (WUT), with the support of EASE and the wider TechSportKit partnership.
Discover the full results and download the Survey Results and Analysis Report below.