Open Innovation
Linking startups and sporting entities offers a winning option for all sides: Combining ideas and an innovative problem-solution approach, with an abundance of resources and access to markets and customers. However, many startups are unable to find a pathway to collaborate with larger organisations, who are working within established processes and without full visibility of potential options, making it difficult to find and implement “the next big thing”.
Open Innovation is a fantastic opportunity to develop and implement new ideas, products and solutions, making for more efficient business operations, increasing access and participation, or improving performance for our athletes. Open Innovation pathways enable new innovations to thrive through discovery and validation, removing barriers that sports innovators and sporting entities are often faced with limited resources, funding pressures, and conflicting priorities.
ASTN’s Open Innovation program provides a facilitated process, ensuring meaningful collaboration between organisations and startups, which in turn provide novel and innovative solutions to boost their on-field performance, enhance their off-field operations, or any opportunity that will give them an advantage across their business.
ASTN has developed and delivered a number of successful Open Innovation programs – for more details, please visit our Previous Open Innovation Programs.
Quicklinks
- Previous Open Innovation Programs
- Gold Coast Sportstech Open Innovation Challenge with Southport Sharks
- Going Beyond the Hype and Getting Down to Business
- ASTN Open Innovation Masterclass 2023
- 'Pitch to the Renegades' - Sports Innovation - 2023
Gold Coast Sportstech Open Innovation Challenge with Southport Sharks
Do you have a tech solution that might have a place in sport? Are you ready to accelerate your solution, validate it in the real world, and build partnerships with one of Australia’s most progressive sporting organisations?
Expressions of Interest are now open for the Gold Coast Sportstech Open Innovation Challenge with Southport Sharks, powered by the Invest Gold Coast, Australian Sports Technologies Network (ASTN) and Southport Sharks, and supported by the Gold Coast Health & Knowledge Precinct.
Over six weeks, selected companies will engage in tailored workshops, 1:1 mentoring, real-world product validation, and direct collaboration with Southport Sharks leadership, giving you a unique opportunity to refine your offering, build traction, and scale your impact in the sports sector.
Problem Statements
The Gold Coast Sportstech Open Innovation Challenge with Southport Sharks is seeking companies and solutions that address one or more of the following areas:
1. Enhancing Player Safety
How can we better protect athletes at all levels of competition by improving the early detection, monitoring, and management of injuries, health risks, and wellness factors – both on and off the field?
2. Elevating Performance
How can we enable athletes and teams to achieve higher levels of performance through smarter tracking, tailored training, recovery optimisation, and real-time performance insights that are practical, scalable, and impactful?
3. Driving Sports Innovation
How can we drive operational excellence, improve fan engagement, and create smarter, more connected club environments through innovative technologies that modernise the sporting experience for athletes, fans, and stakeholders?
4. Building Stronger Community Engagement
How can we deepen our connection with the community, making sport more accessible, inclusive, and engaging for all members, while strengthening the club’s role as a hub for health, participation, and belonging?
What You'll Gain:
- Direct feedback from Southport Sharks leadership to refine your product or service offering.
- Commercialisation support and strategic mentoring from ASTN experts.
- Real-world validation and clear pathways to pilot opportunities and future growth.
- Practical insights on navigating procurement, partnerships, and investment readiness within semi-professional sports environments.
- Exposure through Southport Sharks’ social media channels.
- Engage in future business development, connection and exposure opportunities through Invest Gold Coast and the Gold Coast Health & Knowledge Precinct
At program completion, you will also have the opportunity to:
- Be offered a formal contract with Southport Sharks to pilot your solution.
- Access athletes for testimonials, collaborations, and content creation.
- Build a powerful case study with one of Australia’s leading semi-professional sports clubs.
Program Timeline:
- EOI Open: Friday 2nd May
- EOI Close: Sunday 18th May
- Successful Applicants Notified: Tuesday 20th May
- Kickoff Workshop: Thursday 22nd May (Gold Coast Health and Knowledge Precinct)
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Workshops:
- 30th May: Understanding the Ecosystem
- 13th June: Commercialisation and Product-Market Fit
- 27th June: Partnerships, Procurement, and Investment
Who Should Apply:
We encourage applications from Gold Coast-based startups and SMEs that offer:
- New and emerging technologies ready for pilot testing.
- Solutions that align to one or more of the focus areas above.
- Products or services with real potential to scale in the Australian and global sports sectors.
- Teams who are coachable, collaborative, and committed to growing within the sport ecosystem.
Participant Commitments:
- Attend all scheduled workshops and 1:1 sessions (in-person participation preferred).
- Complete preparation tasks to maximise the impact of each session.
- Respect confidentiality and engage respectfully with peers, facilitators, and the Southport Sharks team.
- Be open to feedback, iteration, and learning.
How to Apply:
Submit your Expression of Interest by completing the short application before Sunday 18th May.
Successful applicants will be notified on Tuesday 20th May and invited to join the program kicking off on Thursday 22nd May.
Going Beyond the Hype and Getting Down to Business
Linking startups and large corporations seems to offer the best of both worlds: Combining ideas and an innovative problem-solution approach with an abundance of resources and access to markets and customers. In a world where most of the knowledge exists outside the walls of any given firm, bringing in ideas promises gaining access to the potential next big thing for corporates. Conversely, many startups fail due to a lack of paying customers and therefore could benefit from the existing channels of the large corporate. However, more often startups are wary of the big corporate stealing their idea and IP, whereas corporate processes, like brand protection, budget considerations and sales execution of core business can kill the new quickly.
About Henry Chesbrough
Henry Chesbrough is Faculty Director of the Garwood Center for Corporate Innovation within the Institute of Business Innovation at the Haas School of Business at UC Berkeley. His research focuses on managing technology and innovation. He is known as the father of open innovation, due to his book, Open Innovation (Harvard Business School Press, 2003). This book was named a Best Business Book by Strategy & Business magazine, and the best book on innovation on NP's All Things Considered. Scientific American magazine named him one of the top 50 technology and business leaders in recognition of his research on industrial innovation. Prior to embarking on an academic career, he spent ten years in various product planning and strategic marketing positions in Silicon Valley companies. He worked for seven of those years at Quantum Corporation, a leading hard disk drive manufacturer and a Fortune 500 company. Previously, he worked at Bain and Company.