Research & Innovation
Shelly Woods
BAE Systems
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UK Sport’s Research and Innovation programme aims to ensure that Britain's top athletes are among the most feared on the starting line at the London Olympic and Paralympic Games. UK Sport are the facilitators between sport and experts; working in partnership with both to create a system that allows our athletes to be the most prepared and best equipped of all on the world stage.
At UK Sport, the Research and Innovation team manages an ambitious research and development programme; looking at innovation in the areas of training science, performance medicine, equipment and coaching technologies. Their aim is to create a system that allows maximum opportunity for more British Champions, making Britons capable of competing and winning on the world stage, cleanly and fairly.
UK Sport’s Research and Innovation programme works in partnership with the national governing bodies to identify ideas that may be relevant to specific sports and ensure that these ideas have the best possible opportunity of coming to fruition. Through supporting with funding, expertise and contacts they help deliver projects that will directly benefit British athletes now and in the future.
When someone has an idea that may improve the performance of a British athlete, UK Sport helps take it and turn that idea into reality. Much of this work is highly sensitive and cannot be discussed with external parties for fear that a competitor may steal an idea, but the mystery and intrigue behind who they are and what they do is almost as interesting as the concept itself.
The UK Sport Research and Innovation programme has secured over £12 million in external funding to support the work in addition to the lottery and exchequer funding. UK Sport recognises the importance of securing the financial support and expertise of some of the world’s leading technological experts and has pioneered seeking and securing a third income stream for their work in this area.
