The collaboration seeks to attract sports tech companies to the city to drive industry innovation in Indiana
Purdue University’s Ray Ewry Sports Engineering Center is teaming up with Indianapolis-based Sports Tech HQ to drive innovation in the center’s new home in the capital city. (Purdue Brand Studio photo)
INDIANAPOLIS — The Ray Ewry Sports Engineering Center (RESEC) is accelerating its growth in Indianapolis thanks to a new partnership. Purdue University is teaming up with Sports Tech HQ in the center’s new home at the U.S. headquarters of Dallara, an internationally recognized motorsports manufacturer, in Speedway. Purdue and Sports Tech HQ plan to capitalize on the momentum of the sports technology sector, which continues to experience tremendous growth and investment worldwide, and are combining their efforts to attract industry leaders and collaborators to Indiana’s capital city.
The partnership, announced Tuesday (Oct. 29), will officially launch in December as part of the Sports Tech HQ Showcase, which includes the premier global sports tech conference One-Zero, held in downtown Indianapolis Dec. 12-14, and the third annual Indy Classic (Dec. 14) at Gainbridge Fieldhouse, where the Purdue men’s basketball team will take on Texas A&M University. Purdue representatives will join leading venture capitalists, founders and sports executives at One-Zero to discuss the next wave of innovation in sports. The Indy Classic will offer a dynamic showcase of sports tech and highlight cutting-edge innovations, both in the stadium and on the game’s national broadcast.
“Sports Tech HQ’s demonstrated ability to reach and attract technology-based, sports-oriented companies is exemplary,” said Jan-Anders Mansson, executive director of the RESEC and Distinguished Professor of Materials and Chemical Engineering. “This partnership will provide tremendous opportunity for RESEC to collaborate with both large and small companies in the Sports Tech HQ collective, greatly benefiting these organizations from the steady influx of skilled Purdue engineers into the workforce, which will fuel the growth that will position Indiana as a global leader in sports tech.”
Named in honor of record-setting Olympian and Purdue engineering graduate Ray Ewry, the RESEC is a joint effort between the College of Engineering and Purdue Athletics. Its three priorities are the integrity of competition, the health and safety of participants, and the engagement of the audience. Technology bridges the gaps across these priorities, and engineering and data science lie at the center of all three. Employing innovative approaches to these priorities, Purdue can meet the growing demand for a richer sports experience and help drive the sports tech market in Indianapolis, where motorsports and Olympic, professional and collegiate sports all have a major presence and impact. This partnership aligns with the College of Engineering’s Vision 2030 initiative.
“Indiana is lucky to have a world-class research center like the Ray Ewry Sports Engineering Center in Indianapolis,” said Jeffrey Hintz, executive director of Sports Tech HQ. “As we aim to attract sports tech companies to Indiana, Purdue’s commitment to sports engineering in our state is an incredible asset for us. We can’t wait to partner together to foster future innovation and entrepreneurship in Indiana, and we are looking forward to kicking off our partnership when all eyes will be on our city and the Sports Tech HQ Showcase.”
About Purdue University in Indianapolis
Purdue University in Indianapolis is a new, fully integrated expansion of the West Lafayette campus, extending to central Indiana the academic rigor and accessible excellence for which Purdue is known. As the state’s only top 10 public university, most trusted university and most innovative university, Purdue is focused and committed to strengthening its presence in Indiana’s industrial and technological center. Purdue University in Indianapolis is creating an innovative, STEM-based collegiate experience by connecting future-ready Purdue students and faculty in Indianapolis to local businesses to accelerate Indiana’s STEM pipeline and tech ecosystem, fueling impact for our region and the world. Learn more about Purdue’s latest giant leap at https://www.purdue.edu/campuses/indianapolis/.
About Sports Tech HQ
Sports Tech HQ is a nonprofit organization fueling Indiana’s transformation into a global hub for sports technology. Home to a world-class sports infrastructure, Indiana provides the foundation for entrepreneurs to advance innovations that elevate the game for fans, athletes and teams. Sports Tech HQ attracts companies from around the world to join its collective, positioning them at the forefront of an industry projected to reach $100 billion by 2030. Discover how these companies are driving the future of sports through Indiana’s robust ecosystem of partners at sthq.org.