SBLabs.
Applied research units where knowledge of professional sport is generated with rigour, transferred with impact, and turned into a real competitive advantage for those involved.
WHAT IS AN SBLab?
At its core, a laboratory is a meeting place where ideas are tested, experiments are carried out and hypotheses are validated before being introduced into society. It is a place where methodological rigour and intellectual curiosity coexist with the urgency of practical application.
That is exactly the nature of a SBLab: a meeting point between academia and the sports industry where research is carried out into real-world challenges, evidence is generated and knowledge is built up, which is then transferred to the sector, the programmes and the organisations that have been part of the process.
THE SBLab MODEL
An institutional partner provides the real-world context, data, access and industry expertise. SBL Education provides the methodological framework, the research team and the dissemination network. The result is rigorous, practical knowledge that is published and enhances the standing of both parties.
Research
Projects tackling real-world challenges using a rigorous methodology.
Publication
Industry publications and events.
Training
Knowledge is making a comeback in the classroom and in the curriculum.
Who is it for?
Two ways to get involved
Institutional partner
Companies and organisations
You are part of an SBLab as an institutional partner. Your organisation provides the real-world context and gains a strong position, knowledge and visibility within the sporting ecosystem.
- Membership of the Lab’s Advisory Board
- Priority access to publications and reports
- Identifying specialist talent
- Co-creation of research projects
- Visibility at events and publicity
Researcher or contributor
Academics and professionals
You take part in an SBLab’s research areas as an associate researcher, external collaborator or specialist content contributor.
- Published by SBLabs
- Access to data and real-world environments
- Network of contacts in the sports industry
- Participation in public outreach events
- Links to SBL Education programmes
How it works
1
Identification
2
Constitution
3
Activity
04
Transfer
WHAT SBLab OFFERS
Positioning as a benchmark
Your brand will be associated with an independent and rigorous research centre, with a strong presence within the academic and professional sports community.
Access to specialist talent
You identify and connect with the best candidates before anyone else does. SBL students work on real challenges facing your organisation from day one.
Knowledge applied to your business
Research areas are defined on the basis of the real challenges facing your organisation. The knowledge generated belongs to you first and foremost.
Content of high editorial value
SBLabs produces its own publications and reports. Your organisation has priority access to each publication.
THE SPIRIT OF SBLabs
A space where the curiosity has a methodology, and the industry has access to knowledge before anyone else gets it.
SBLabs was founded on the belief that sport is too complex and too important to be left without applied research. Each SBLab represents a commitment to gaining a better understanding of a specific area of the sector, through rigorous analysis, data and collaboration with the organisations at the heart of the industry’s day-to-day operations.
Does your organisation face a challenge?
What should I look into?
SBLabs are bespoke. If you have a question about professional sport that deserves a thorough answer, let’s have a chat.