About 150 users attended the Towards green transition in the sports sector webinar cycle, organized by INDESCAT within the framework of the European SmartSports4GoodLife project. This cycle has been made up of three sessions held between May 11 and 19, focused on the transition to sustainability in the sports sector. The webinars were carried out virtually and included presentations and success stories of sustainability in swimming pools and aquatic areas, sports facilities and sporting events.
The first two webinars were directed at sports facilities, since energy consumption is the second expense for any sports center. This cost is even more relevant when the facility has aquatic areas, such as swimming pools, saunas or spas. The third webinar focused on sustainability and tourism and sports events, given the important role that sports tourism has in the development of tourist destinations that have experienced enormous growth in recent years. Reducing their social and environmental impact and promoting their sustainable development are relevant challenges for these regions.
This cycle of webinars has provided participants with knowledge about the latest trends in energy efficiency in sports facilities, as well as solutions and good practices to promote more sustainable sports events. All this to contribute to the sustainable development objectives and combat climate change by reducing carbon emissions, social and environmental sustainability.
Specifically, the Towards green transition in the sports sector webinar cycle included the following sessions:
Tuesday May 11 - Optimizing Energy Efficiency of Swimming Pools and Water Sports Areas
The first webinar began with a presentation by David Tapias, EMEA R & D + and Director of Fluidra, who presented the Freepool solution, an innovative treatment that improves the quality of the water in swimming pools and their natural environment. The solution arose as a result of a working group promoted by INDESCAT, which had the participation of various entities and members of the cluster and the Atlètic-Barceloneta Swimming Club. Next, Ruth Pujol, Partner Architect at Studio Pujol Sadovski, presented the FINA Pools for all project, which offers standardized tools for the design, construction and operation of sustainable aquatic facilities that comply with the regulations of different aquatic disciplines. Finally, the session closed with the presentation of several international success stories: DUNA Arena (Hungary), City of Oosterhout (Netherlands) and Caldea (Andorra).
Wednesday May 12 - Maximizing Energy Efficiency of Sports Facilities
The session focused on facilities with almost zero energy consumption and began with the presentation "The EU Green Deal for SMEs". Subsequently, the European Step-2-Sport project was presented, aimed at promoting the implementation of energy efficiency measures in existing sports facilities, which has been implemented in 26 facilities in 7 different European countries. The session continued with a presentation by The Green Sports Alliance, a Portland-based organization that brings together agents from around the sports world to promote healthy and sustainable communities. Finally, the session presented the case studies Johan Cruijff Arena (Netherlands), 2022 European Handball Championship (Hungary) and Real Betis Balonpié - Forever Green (Spain).
Wednesday May 19 - Promoting Sustainability of Sports Tourism and Events
The webinar began with two initial presentations, aimed at addressing the importance of the green transition in tourism and sporting events to minimize social and environmental impact and promote sustainable development. The session also presented relevant international cases on major sporting events, such as the Tour de France, the Ski World Championship Courchevel-Méribel 2023, the Ultra Trail du Mont-blanc 2021 or the Formula-E (Netherlands).
More than 70 meetings requested
In addition to the webinars, attendees were able to hold B2B meetings with the speakers and attendees from different countries of the European Union. In total, more than 70 were requested, which are taking place in the days after this cycle of webinars.
The cycle is organized within the framework of the European project SmartSports4GoodLife, a project co-financed by the COSME program of the European Union, coordinated by INDESCAT and with the participation of the European sports clusters Cluster Sports & Technology, Cluster Montagne and MSE Cluster and the European platform for sport innovation EPSI.
The Grass-Twin project offers an innovative solution based on functional printing and smart monitoring for the maintenance of sports surfaces.
Grass-Twin is an industrial research project launched with the aim of addressing a common challenge in the management of sports surfaces—whether natural, hybrid, or artificial turf: the lack of advanced technological solutions for efficient and tailored maintenance.
This Wednesday, July 9, INDESCAT and the AMBIT cluster held a key session at the Eurofitness Perill sports center, where we presented the first results of the project “LIVINGLAB-FIT: Reinventing fitness spaces.” This is an initiative driven and led by both clusters with the support of ACCIÓ, as part of the competitiveness support program. The project, a pioneer in its field, aims to respond to the need of companies in the sector to redesign sports spaces to make them more attractive, inclusive, and efficient, taking into account the diverse profiles of the centers' users.
30 June 2025
Thanks to the European I3-INSHAPE initiative, INDESCAT, the sports industry cluster, has secured direct grants for Catalan companies amounting to more than €570,000. In the first phase, €329,240 was awarded to Onalabs, Eurofitness, Sevenmila, Berrly, and Tot per l’Esport — all members of INDESCAT. In a second phase, nine interregional collaborative projects involving innovative SMEs from various EU regions — including Catalonia — received a total of €244,000 in direct funding for eight Catalan companies: Barcelona Zero Limits, Factual Consulting, Improfit, MyPlay, Neorg, North 3, Placenet, and Rockfit, four of which are cluster members. All of these projects focus on innovative solutions in the fields of sport, technology, and healthy lifestyles.
30 June 2025
In a context shaped by digital transformation, demographic shifts, and a constantly evolving sports industry, the training of future professionals requires educational models adapted to today’s realities. Escola Vitae emerges as an innovative proposal within the educational sector, offering programs focused on a direct connection with the job market and the challenges of the future.
We speak with Roger Saladich, Co-CEO of Vitae, a school specialized in the fields of sports and health, which has been offering official and in-house qualifications for over fifteen years through an immersive pedagogical approach. We explore the origins of the initiative, how they integrate technology and personal competencies into their programs, and the steps they are taking to establish themselves as a leading institution in shaping the next generation of professionals in the sector.
The opening event of INDESCAT’s 15th anniversary celebration, the sports industry cluster in Catalonia, brought together members, former and current board representatives, institutional figures, and other key players from the Catalan sports sector on June 19 at the Joan Miró Foundation.
The event featured a review of the cluster’s history, the unveiling of a commemorative illustration, the presentation of special recognitions, and an interactive session led by Emogg. The celebration concluded with a cocktail reception, offering industry professionals the chance to network and foster synergies.
Prior to the celebration, INDESCAT held its Annual General Assembly, during which members reviewed the activities and budget from the past period, and future plans and forecasts for the cluster were presented.
6 June 2025
The Best Practices in Healthy Companies Conference was successfully held this Friday, June 6th, at the Tabaris Building in Coma-ruga (El Vendrell). The event was organized by the Associació Corporativa Empresa Saludable (ACES) with the collaboration of various key local stakeholders, including the Ajuntament del Vendrell, Ranking Games, Umivale Activa, FCC Medi Ambient, and the INDESCAT cluster itself.
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