Domestic research institutes are integrating sports big data and information and communications technology (ICT) to advance sports in the era of the Fourth Industrial Revolution.

On the 11th, the Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute (ETRI) and the Korea Institute of Sport Science and Technology (KIST) agreed to cooperate in advancing the sports industry and science through artificial intelligence (AI)-based sports big data analysis.

This collaboration is the first step toward transforming the sports industry into a high-value-added fourth industrial revolution by leveraging and analyzing Korea's leading ICT sports big data technology.

In the future, the two organizations will pursue cooperation in areas such as: △ identifying agendas related to establishing sports industry policies and promoting mid- to long-term research and development (R&D); △ developing core technologies for the convergence of sports science (improving national team athletes' performance, utilizing cutting-edge sports technology) and sports medicine research with ICT.

ETRI researchers possess core source technologies for research on medical and sports-linked big data platforms, AI-based exercise analysis and recommendation, and other areas, including the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism's development of intelligent personalized rehabilitation exercise service technology.

Based on these technologies, we plan to utilize the abundant sports data from the Korea Institute of Sport Science and Technology to enhance the perfection of the techniques and apply them to national team athletes to actively help improve their performance.

Through this collaboration, both institutions will hold academic seminars and forums. We plan to expand cooperation through joint hosting and joint use of various materials.

ETRI President Seung-chan Bang said, “Through this business cooperation that combines national sports big data and ICT, we will not only create synergy effects between the two organizations, but also contribute to the revitalization of the advanced sports industry market that combines sports and ICT in the era of the Fourth Industrial Revolution.”

Nam Yoon-shin, director of the Korea Institute of Sport Science, also said, “In the era of digital transformation, the convergence of sports and cutting-edge technology is inevitable, and we will further dedicate ourselves to strengthening the global competitiveness of Korean sports through technological cooperation with ETRI.”

The Korea Institute of Sport Policy and Science, established in 1980, is a national research institute that conducts systematic and comprehensive research on national sports promotion and sports science.