D
uring the recent London 2012 Olympic Games, Dutch compa- nies played a leading role in sup- plying athletes with cutting-edge
sports technology, from high-tech clothing and boats to nutrition and training techniques. Just as developments in technology can help elite athletes to achieve their aims, successful con- cepts can also generate revenue for business. Various Dutch companies are already world market leaders in their field, and the export value of the Dutch sports industry totals around €1.1 billion. Sports technology has developed into an in-
dustry, and the Netherlands is a leading global player. The industry is supported by the Dutch government, which believes that innovative sports projects lend themselves to public-private partnership and that businesses prefer to invest in research that will have a lucrative spin-off. The government promotes innovation and aims to raise the level of sports research and sports education in the Netherlands. More than ever, sports performance entails
much more than the physical prowess of the ath- lete. Dutch rowers and sailors took to the water at the London Olympics in lightweight, rigid boats made with a carbon resin composite de- veloped by life sciences and material sciences company DSM. The Dutch Olympic bobsleigh team has previously benefitted from this
composite resin, originally designed for the au- tomotive industry. It is stronger than a traditional epoxy resin and can withstand freezing temper- atures. This technology helped the Dutch women’s 470 class sailing team win a bronze medal at the London Olympics by creating a lighter, stronger, stiffer and faster boat. DSM has also developed a pioneering sin-
gle-layer skating suit made from high-perfor- mance polyethylene fibre that protects athletes and keeps them cool. This is now used in cycling clothing to protect riders against abra- sions in the event of a crash. DSM has devel- oped a new generation of sporting clothes that let moisture out and stop it getting in. It has also pioneered a nutritional supplement that helps athletes perform longer and at a higher level by transporting sugars into muscle tissue, thus pre- serving energy while building muscle protein after heavy exercise. The Dutch swimming team uses state-of-
the-art Dutch sports technology to maximise performance. At the Pieter van den Hoogenband training centre, located in Europe’s largest swimming complex in Eindhoven, swimmers can train with the Vision Training System. This unique system, comprised of 12 cameras, makes detailed analyses of swimmers’ techniques. The swimming centre is one of five so-called InnoSportsLabs in Holland where athletes can work on perfecting their performance.
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More than ever, sports performance entails much more than the physical prowess of the athlete.
New European Economy
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