The UK's game-changing sports economy on show at Paris 2024 Olympics

The Paris 2024 Olympics Games kicks off today, giving us another chance to see not just amazing sporting endeavours, but also to highlight the innovative businesses from the UK’s world-class sports economy that are supporting the games.

At the European Political Community Summit, hosted by the UK the other day, Prime Minister Keir Starmer and President Emmanuel Macron welcomed the UK’s support for Paris’s staging of the Olympics. Our forward-looking relationship with France has been growing in momentum as the UK resets it relationship with Europe, and as we mark 30 years of the Channel Tunnel and 120 years since the signing of the Entente Cordiale.

We have a significant bilateral trading relationship, of course, with France the UK’s fourth largest trading partner, serving up ￡105.3 billion worth of trade last financial year, up almost 11%.

Sports services contributed handsomely to the ￡45 billion of UK exports to France last year.

The British Embassy Paris will play a key role in bringing more opportunities to bear, and the front of the Embassy has just been decked out in stunning Olympic-themed branding.

A passion for sport (and a friendly rivalry) is shared between both our countries. While the Paris 2024 Games is of course all about athletic competition it's also a tremendous platform for shared business ambitions.

In building their new global campaign to showcase the best of France, the French openly cited as an inspiration our own award-winning GREAT Britain & Northern Ireland Campaign , originally launched to coincide with the hosting of London 2012.

The UK has a rich history of hosting major global sporting events like the 2012 Olympics and 2022 Commonwealth Games and with substantial government funding and robust infrastructure, the UK offers significant opportunities across any sector where technology, innovation and diversity of thought is involved. We have clusters of world-class expertise across multiple business sectors.

Sport is no different.

• In sport we are 1st in Europe for the number of sports-related start-ups.
• Sports and physical activity contribute ￡39 billion to the UK’s economy, employing 527,000 people across the country.
• Olympic and Paralympic sports drive economic growth in the UK, with the industry worth ￡25 billion to the UK economy.
• Of the sector’s ￡3.4bn services and ￡1.1bn good exports, UK businesses have secured almost ￡200m in exports that will support delivery of the Paris 2024 Games.

UK businesses helping deliver the Paris 2024 Games include official supporters @OnePlan, @ES Global, @Arena Group and @SLX. These companies evidence the newest tech innovations in event delivery, from digital twin mapping to broadcast lighting and temporary infrastructure design.

OnePlan is an interesting company that has created a collaborative way to visually plan live events and venues, indoor and outdoor, empowering event organizers, venue operators and commercial teams to collaborate in one plan like never before.

One Plan is a partner to the Organising Committee for the Olympic and Paralympic Games Paris 2024, which will use OnePlan’s Venue Twin and GIS Mapping software for more efficiency and collaboration. This is the first time an Olympic and Paralympic Games has chosen a partner for GIS Mapping and Digital Twin Software. The 3D mapping of sports venues and surrounding areas will leave a legacy that makes smart planning and accessibility available to future global events in France

Want to know where to invest? Here are some of the most interesting things happening in the sports sector across the UK:

London: Hub for sports tech investment

As the top European city for sports tech funding from 2016-2020, London is home to market-leading sports tech companies and internationally recognised universities.

Major sports teams are based in the city, with London boasting the first purpose-built NFL stadium outside of America, seating more than 62,300 fans.

North of England: Sports tech innovation

The North of England has an exciting cluster of sports tech companies and high-profile Premier League football clubs that drive forward innovation in the sports economy.

Businesses in the North can also call upon the talent forged by renowned educational facilities, such as Sheffield Hallam University.

Northern Ireland: Fast-growing tech sector

Northern Ireland enjoys an international reputation as a region of expertise in tech development, with one of the fastest growing tech sectors in the UK. Northern Irish sports tech companies deliver market-leading solutions to global sports clubs and the research from Ulster University’s School of Sport will ensure this trend continues.

For more information and?practical guidance, visit ?? Sports Economy - great.gov.uk international.

Good luck all teams, especially Team GB ! ???? ?? (pictured below at the Embassy with HRH Princess Anne, by our Deputy Trade Commissioner, and Head of Trade in Paris Jo Hawley )

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