Sports technology Vuokatti
The Sports Technology Unit (University of Jyväskylä, Vuokatti) is part of the Faculty of Exercise and Sport Sciences at the University of Jyväskylä. The Sports Technology Unit is specialised in multidisciplinary and applied sports biology research as well as master’s and doctoral education in sports technology.
Sports technology seeks to find solutions for combining technological expertise with biomechanics, physiology and coaching expertise to promote performance and functional ability as well as health. Areas of application include competitive and performance sports, fitness training and health-enhancing physical activity, as well as sports or rehabilitation for special groups. Sports technology also includes analysis programmes and assistive technology.
The unit’s operations in Vuokatti started in 2004, and currently the facilities are located in the Snowpolis Technology Park. In terms of research, the unit specialises in applied, technology-based research of Nordic skiing sports. The Sports Technology Unit has a solid national and international research and development network, thanks to which several international scientific congresses have been organised in Vuokatti. The head of the unit is Professor Vesa Linnamo.
Cooperation with various parties
JYU-Vuokatti (University of Jyväskylä, Vuokatti) has many local, national and international partners. The most important partners in the field of sports are the Vuokatti Sports Institute, Olympic Training Center Vuokatti-Ruka, Vuokatti-Ruka Sports Academy and Finnish Institute of High Performance Sport KIHU, as well as the Finnish Olympic Committee and Finnish Skiing and Biathlon Federations. Internationally, JYU-Vuokatti is active in the International College of Science and Skiing organisation and engages in research cooperation with several different universities, the most important of which currently include the University of Gothenburg, Sweden, Mid Sweden University and Balgrist University Hospital, Switzerland.
JYU-Vuokatti is part of the Kajaani University Consortium, which is coordinated by the University of Oulu. In addition to the University of Jyväskylä, the universities of Eastern Finland and Lapland also operate in the Consortium in agreed areas of responsibility. In addition, JYU-Vuokatti is part of the local CEMIS network along with the University of Oulu’s Kajaani Unit of Measurement Technology MITY, Kajaani University of Applied Sciences, Technical Research Centre of Finland VTT and IT Center for Science CSC.
The most significant public actors are the municipality of Sotkamo, the Kainuu ELY Centre and the Ministry of Education and Culture.
