CALGARY, ALBERTA Small- and medium-sized firms working to develop and commercialize new sports or health technologies will benefit from increased testing, validation and research services offered through the Canadian Sport Institute Calgary (CSI Calgary)—thanks in part to federal funding being provided through Prairies Economic Development Canada (PrairiesCan).

CSI Calgary is expanding its operational capacity to provide quality product testing to small- and medium- sized businesses that develop innovative sports and health products. Testing and validating products in order to meet and exceed safety and compliance standards is a critical step in commercializing new products for the sports and health technology sector.

CSI Calgary is a non-profit organization dedicated to building, creating and educating athletes, coaches and sport-science processionals. The Sport Product Testing group at CSI Calgary supports the development of health and wellness products for general and athletic populations.

“We work within the health and sport ecosystem in Western Canada to help companies understand their products, make their products better and ultimately contribute to the success of the company.”-       Pro Stergiou, Business Development Manager for the Sport Product Testing Group

The group is focused on working with local companies and has previously worked with well-known brands such as Under Armour, Lululemon, and Polar.

The Government of Canada, through Prairies Economic Development Canada (PrairiesCan), is investing $315,000 over three years to enable the CSI Calgary Sport Product Testing group to expand its capacity to deliver services to companies within the sports and health fields.

“The Government of Canada’s investment towards the Canadian Sport Institute Calgary will directly benefit western Canadian companies as they commercialize new ideas and products for the sports and health technology industry. This initiative will help small and medium-sized businesses in demonstrating and preparing their products for market, allowing them to meet consumer demands and grow their product lines in this unique sector of our economy.” –The Honourable Daniel Vandal, Minister of Northern Affairs, Minister responsible for Prairies Economic Development Canada and Minister responsible for the Canadian Northern Economic Development Agency

The CSI Calgary Sport Product Testing group will work collaboratively with companies on the validation and evaluation of sport and health technologies and apparel—including wearable technologies and related data analysis. The federal investment supports CSI Calgary’s focus on helping small- and medium-sized business in the sports and health sectors launch competitive new business ventures and products.

“As leaders in the field of high performance sport research and innovation, this funding will help us grow our product testing business and expand our scope of services. It will also help us support and develop local businesses who are working to offer new products in the global sports and health market.”–Gary Davies, President and CEO, CSI Calgary
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About Sport Product TestingWe objectively extract meaningful and relevant insights so that more accurate and usable products are available to consumers. With our thorough understanding of functional performance and consumer perceptions, we can provide services in all stages of the product development cycle for our clients.  About the Canadian Sport Institute CalgaryThe Canadian Sport Institute Calgary provides world-class training environments in Alberta. With the support of our partners, we deliver leading sport science and medicine, coach education and life services to help Canada’s high-performance athletes achieve Olympic and Paralympic podium performances.www.csicalgary.ca

About Prairies Economic Development Canada (PrairiesCan)Prairies Economic Development Canada (PrairiesCan) is the federal department that supports economic growth in Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba. Its programs and services help businesses, not-for-profits and communities grow stronger. Its mandate is to support economic growth and diversification in the Prairie provinces and advance the interests of the region in national economic policy, programs and projects. 

Media Contact:Annie Gagnon, Director, Marketing & CommunicationsCanadian Sport Institute Calgaryc: 613.262.9644e: agagnon@csicalgary.ca Annie Goncin, Manager, Athlete Services & Digital MediaCanadian Sport Institute Calgaryc: 647.767.6862e: agoncin@csicalgary.ca