Segarra explains VCF Innovation Hub project

Valencia CF have started the ‘VCF Innovation Hub’ project this season, together with Startup Valencia, a project that pursues three objectives: Supporting young local talent, committing to local companies and leading the club to the forefront of technology.

Franco Segarra, the club's Director of Digital Innovation, spoke to VCF MEDIA Radio on Thursday to outline the exciting project.

How did this project come about?

We realise that as a football club, unlike other industries, digitisation, modernisation and innovation is somewhat lagging in this world. Other industries are much more advanced in this regard. As a football club we are aware of trends, but we are not experts in many things -nor do we have the capacity to cover them all, and so we created the 'VCF Innovation Hub' project together with Startup Valencia.

In Valencia there is a very important trend for entrepreneurship. There is an effervescent ecosystem that has been working very well for a long time. We in Europe are becoming more and more important in this regard and we want to show commitment to local companies to help us to go further in this innovation process.

What are Valencia CF’s aims with this project?

The key is to be proactive and ahead of the curve. We are a football club, but there is already much more that goes on than just what happens on the pitch during 90 minutes each week. Now there is consumption on social networks and the new generations have drastically changed their habits for consuming information; Now they are informed via TikTok, on Instagram... you can listen and watch the radio through our App and website, for example.

What is the role of Hyperloop UPV in the project?

Hyperloop is a specific project by the Universitat Politècnica de València. It is one of the pioneering and most innovative of its kind in the world, as shown by the international awards they have won. Mestalla is one of the places which has the most people come through during the year, as almost two million trips are made to and from Mestalla. We consider that a more efficient, greener, more sustainable and faster means of transport makes all the sense in the world. Although there is a long way to go for this to become a reality, at least we are already sharing ideas, data and conducting studies.

Specifically, the Hyperloop UPV project is part of our Smart Stadium Innovation focus, which uses technology that can improve people's time at the stadium.

What are the other three verticals?

Another vertical is Innovation in Medicine and Sports Sciences. What does this have to do with technology? Not everything innovative is technological or digital; in Medicine there are innovative treatments for both the prevention of injuries and for their cure. There are constant studies to shorten athlete recovery time, and other aspects such as psychology, nutrition, everything related to COVID, etc.

Then there is Innovation in the Academy, which includes everything related to Tracking, Scouting, Sports Science and the improvement of sporting performance based on complete data analysis with Big Data. There is also e-Learning. Now you can teach a class at Harvard, and the Academy kids could be listening to it.

The other vertical for innovation is Fan Engagement, which tries to find how to entertain fans with new consumer habits -especially the new generations- through Augmented Reality, Virtual Reality, Artificial Intelligence, Blockchain and Social Networks.