Bundesliga club TSG 1899 Hoffenheim, DFL Deutsche Fußball Liga and WHU – Otto Beisheim School of Management are jointly bringing the world’s first MIT Sports Entrepreneurship Bootcamp to Germany. In cooperation with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), the three partners will host the week-long learning programme with a focus on innovation and technology at TSG 1899 Hoffenheim’s PreZero Arena in September 2019.
MIT Bootcamps on various topics have already been held around the world with great success. Now TSG 1899 Hoffenheim and the DFL are breaking new ground and underlining their innovation leadership in international elite sport by hosting the MIT Sports Entrepreneurship Bootcamp. The first MIT Bootcamp with sports-related content will provide an international platform for dialogue and inspiration for more than 100 young entrepreneurs, students, innovators and sports industry professionals from around the world. The programme includes workshops, presentations and teamwork projects on the latest developments in sports technology. Professors from MIT and WHU will be joined by numerous other renowned speakers in sharing their knowledge and experiences.
Bootcamp participants will learn how to identify and evaluate opportunities in the sports business and realise them as part of an innovation-driven team. They will also become part of a global network of up-and-coming managers and receive an MIT certificate. 120 participants will be recruited from all of the candidates. Applications can now be submitted at https://bootcamp.mit.edu/
MIT is one of the world’s leading technical universities, while WHU is one of Germany’s most renowned business schools. MIT and the Center for Sports and Management at WHU are jointly conducting research into the integration of sportsbusiness-specific content into the MIT Bootcamp.
Dr. Peter Görlich, Managing Director of TSG 1899 Hoffenheim Fußball-Spielbetriebs GmbH: “Innovation is the driving force behind all change. As a creative, innovative club that puts ideas into action, we are proud to be hosting Europe’s first public MIT Bootcamp at the PreZero Arena in the Rhein-Neckar metropolitan region. We are looking forward to welcoming leading figures from the fields of technology and sports entrepreneurship to our region.”
Christian Seifert, CEO of DFL Deutsche Fußball Liga GmbH: “The DFL has a systematic focus on innovation. The courage to embrace technological change is one of the hallmarks of German professional football. Last year, we were a partner of the “SportsInnovation” trade fair, which is set to be held again in 2020. This year, we are delighted to be hosting the world’s first MIT Sports Entrepreneurship Bootcamp together with our partners.”
Prof. Sascha L. Schmidt, Director of the Center for Sports and Management at WHU: “The partnership with MIT is a unique opportunity to bring leading global technology expertise to Germany. Sports entrepreneurship is an ideal fit for WHU and we are looking forward to helping to shape the content of the Bootcamp. In addition to the sports business, we expect our scientific research and teaching to benefit as a result.”