• GSIC will support the International Bowling Federation in its digital transformation process

• With this membership, the International Bowling Federation is aiming to build a digital-first sports property in the sports tech ecosystem

• Both entities will launch a startup competition to identify the best startups and sport tech companies that will be selected to participate in immersion week during one of the International Bowling competitions.

Madrid, November 4, 2020 – The Global Sports Innovation Center powered by Microsoft (GSIC) has signed a membership agreement with the International Bowling Federation (IBF) to establish a strategic partnership aimed to support IBF´s ambition to build a digital-first sports property – not just in the bowling sphere but amongst all sports.

International Bowling Federation will benefit with GSIC leadership, global expertise and experience that it has been acquiring in the sector for the past 5 years working with leading sports entities, big tech companies and best innovative startups on the market. With a global network of over 220 members in 38 different countries, and over 100 best practices reducing the gap between startups and big sports entities, the GSIC’s main goal in this collaboration is to add this value to International Bowling Federation in their digital transformation processes.

“We’re delighted that International Bowling Federation have trusted the GSIC for the support of their digital transformation process in which we can access the organization on the best solutions to implement and become a digital business. At GSIC we work with different kinds of sports and we are glad to have an opportunity to approach such sport as bowling that become more and more important worldwide. With support of our over 220 members in 38 and through open innovation activities, the GSIC will help IBF to face the challenges that they might have in innovation and technology.” says Iris Cordoba, General Manager of the GSIC.

Both entities will work together on different initiatives that will add value to all the sports tech ecosystem, such as startup scouting, workshops, training and open innovation projects, more specifically, a joint startup competition that will help to identify the best startups and sport tech companies. The selected once will have a great opportunity to participate in the immersion week during one of the International Bowling competitions.

For International Bowling Federation, this membership also offers an opportunity to access the best pool of sports startups and sport-tech companies worldwide, getting to know all the trends and challenges of the sports industry, as well as to identify the proper partners for the different building blocks.

“It is timely to collaborate with GSIC as we move into a new era as the International Bowling Federation. It enables us to be closer to the vast technologies that will consequently help us connect the sport of bowling globally and drive a greater user experience for all our stakeholders.

With our Bowling Evolved transformation currently in development, I’m excited to see how the network will help enhance our digital ecosystem objectives across multiple pillars”. Says Chris Neilson, Innovation & Business Development Director at the International Bowling Federation.

About GSIC

Global Sports Innovation Center powered by Microsoft  (GSIC) is a business cluster powered by Microsoft Sport Team that gathers all kind of sports entities (clubs, federation, associations), institutions, tech-companies (from start-ups to enterprises), research organizations, investors and key figures of sport industry to improve its value chain. To do so we focus our activities and services on 6 main points: entrepreneurship, networking, applied research, showcase, Microsoft Partners Solutions and digital transformation advisory services. More than 340 companies from 38 different countries have already received support from the GSIC through different activities, as well as from their ambassadors and network of professionals of the sports industry.

More information at: http://sport-gsic.com/