5 reasons why the Munich Olympics will advance the movement & sports industry

The Olympic and Paralympic Games in Munich would be a powerful motivator. The preparations alone would encourage people of all ages to take part through new programs in schools, clubs and municipal sports facilities. The slogan "The Olympic heroes of tomorrow are our kindergarten children of today" is emblematic of this effect.

The sports industry can help shape this movement by creating innovative, inclusive and sustainable products and services, from school sports concepts to smart equipment for everyday exercise.

With over 80 million inhabitants and a highly developed sports industry, Germany is the largest sporting goods and fitness market in Europe. Hosting the Olympics in Munich would make this strength globally visible. Brands, start-ups and technology providers from the sports and health industry could use new platforms for product development, partnerships and marketing, from wearables and outdoor equipment to sustainability solutions.

Around 90 percent of the required sports facilities already exist in Munich. Many of them are iconic, such as the Olympic Stadium or the ice sports complex. Investments are therefore not made in short-term prestige projects, but in sustainable modernization and local use. This infrastructure would benefit everyone in the long term: Schools, clubs, leisure and popular sports. At the same time, test fields for new technologies, from energy-efficient buildings to digitally networked sports facilities, are being created for the industry.

Sports presenter and journalist Markus Othmer emphasizes the historical dimension:

"Anyone who experienced Munich 1972 - or even just knows a book or movie about it - knows that Munich would not exist in its current form without the Olympics. It was amazing for the city and a milestone for sport in Bavaria."

Germany has one of the densest club landscapes in the world. Over 90,000 sports clubs form the backbone of an active society. An Olympic bid would give these structures a boost, financially, in terms of personnel and ideas. The sports industry can strengthen this basis by seeing itself as a partner to the clubs, with education campaigns, equipment funding or digital training solutions that make exercise possible for everyone.

An Olympic bid in Munich could provide precisely this impetus. The Sport Trend Radar shows how clubs, sporting events and the sports industry can react to social and technological developments at an early stage in order to promote young talent, support physical activity across the lifespan and anchor Olympic effects in Germany in the long term.

Munich lies at the heart of Europe. An Olympic Games here would have an overflow effect on neighboring countries: people, media and markets from Austria to the Czech Republic to Italy could benefit. This European multiplier effect makes Munich an ideal hub for global sports brands to sustainably strengthen international cooperation and supply chains.

"The European Championships 2022 have shown what is possible: an incredible influx in the clubs, new members, full stands. It was a tangible departure for the sport." Markus Othmer, sports presenter and journalist