NZ Campus of Innovation and Sport and NTT DATA to jointly drive Smart Sports Business Innovation

Wellington, Tokyo, May 13, 2024 - The New Zealand Campus of Innovation and Sport (NZCIS), a leading hub for sports innovation and research, and NTT DATA, a global digital business and IT services leader, have entered a strategic technology partnership to leverage technologies and create new value propositions for NZCIS's sports and accommodation facilities. The partnership will realize the full potential of data-driven insights and innovation in the sports industry through joint activities and proof-of-concept projects.

This collaboration brings together NZCIS's world-class facilities and connections with New Zealand's sporting landscape and NTT DATA's advanced technology assets. The partnership seeks to expand data collection in sports, training, and all related fields and explore opportunities for data monetization through innovative solutions.

NTT DATA is part of the Japanese conglomerate NTT Group, one of the world's largest and most respected brands. Building on NTT Group's extensive experience in the sports industry, including projects with the Tour de France, NTT INDYCAR SERIES, Major League Baseball, and The Open Championship, NTT Group has a history of creating new value propositions in the sports industry through various initiatives. Also, through its collaboration with NZCIS, NTT Group has combined biometric and performance data with athlete profiles to improve training efficiency and provide new experiences for athletes and fans.

Through this partnership, both NZCIS and NTT DATA aim to contribute to the continued development of NZCIS, promote growth within the New Zealand sports industry, and contribute to the development of society. This will be achieved by exploring innovative solutions across a range of areas including:

NZCIS and NTT DATA aim to leverage this partnership to become pioneers in smart sports innovation. Through collaboration between both companies, we aim to set a new standard in data-driven value creation and contribute to a brighter and more engaging future for the sports industry.

"NTT DATA has partnered with NZCIS to accelerate co-creation of new business in the sports industry leveraging cutting edge digital technologies. By closely working with NZCIS, we will jointly justify outcomes from joint solution development and joint business creation. I believe this partnership will lead digital business innovation and development of the sports industry," said NTT DATA, Inc. Executive Vice President, Noriyuki Kaya.

Speaking on behalf of Kevin Melville, Malcolm Gillies NZCIS Co-Owner said, "We are extremely excited to see this investment in technology reach the next stage in its evolution. With the support of the NTT Group, it is not only enabling NZCIS to be a leader in the use of technology in sport, but it extends beyond that to our accommodation, food, and beverage offerings to pursue the vision of a Smart Campus. We see this as a new era also for the foundation member sports teams at NZCIS, who can benefit from the innovation, research, and development, both in terms of performance but also, we hope in exploring new commercial opportunities".