The long-term partnership has been supported by the UK government’s Department for International Trade. It is centred on the collaborative development of sport innovation and sport technology to create new opportunities for research and enterprise across Loughborough’s campuses in the East Midlands and London and Tech Mahindra’s global bases in India, the US and UK.
The collaboration also aims to enhance the Loughborough University student experience through bespoke lectures, visits, sponsored placements, projects, and job opportunities.
The partnership will focus on:
- The advancement of diversity and sustainability in sport
- Opportunities to progress sport through 5G, augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR)
- Research into how sport is being played and will be played in the future
- The future development of how sport is being consumed and will be consumed
- Sport innovation acceleration, including the scale up of emerging companies
Tech Mahindra’s sport division specialises in digital fan experience, eSports, data management and broadcasting – an area Loughborough is looking to explore. The company has an established track record of success with globally recognised teams in Cricket, Basketball, Baseball, American Football and Football, and manages a Formula E team.
Professor Chris Linton Acting President and Vice Chancellor of Loughborough University said: “The partnership with Tech Mahindra enables us to strategically build on our established strengths in sport and technology.
“It also opens up opportunities for colleagues working across a broad spectrum of disciplines, right across the University community. I’m particularly pleased that research, teaching and enterprise activities are all planned. This integrated approach will, I’m sure, deliver enduring value to both parties and I’m excited to see what develops from this pioneering partnership.”
Jagdish Mitra, Chief Strategy Officer and Head of Growth, Tech Mahindra, said: “We are excited to partner with Loughborough University to build the sports ecosystem of the future.”
“This collaboration will focus on filling the technological white spaces within the industry, so we can tap into the full potential of sports.”
Manish Upadhyay, Global Business Head, Sports Technology at Tech Mahindra said: “Partnering with Loughborough, the World’s best university for Sport, brings us huge opportunities for collaboration. Together, I am sure we can have a huge impact on the sporting world. Specifically, the exploitation of technology to enhance fans’ interactions.”
Colleagues from Tech Mahindra have visited Loughborough’s London and East Midlands campuses to witness first-hand the University’s unique sport and innovation eco-system.
The new sporting partnership has been supported by the UK Government. The UK Minister for Investment, Gerry Grimstone added: “Our world-leading universities are just one reason why the UK is such an attractive global investment destination. This is a great initiative between Loughborough University – who lead the way in research and development in sport, and Indian tech giant and major investor Tech Mahindra. This collaboration builds on the growing UK-India trade and investment relationship and puts us at the forefront of sports technology.
“At our Global Investment Summit later this year I hope to see more partnerships like this to drive innovation and growth across the UK.”
The partnership will also see additional opportunities developed, including insight into sporting trends, software and hardware in fan experience and eSports, support of Tech Mahindra’s Formula E team, and further collaboration with Tech Mahindra’s large portfolio of clients and brands.