Sports and Wellbeing

Welcome to the sports capital of Finland! Jyväskylä’s combination of research, education and business know-how related to sports and wellbeing, is one of its kind in the Nordic countries.

State-of-the-art research on sports and projects of national importance

In Jyväskylä, sports and wellbeing are widely studied. The subjects range from obstacles to everyday exercise, to elite athletics and optimization of performance. The main operators in the field include:

University of Jyväskylä , Faculty of Sport and Health Sciences
KIHU - Research Institute for Olympic Sports
LIKES - Research Centre for Physical Activity and Health is in charge of the coordination of a number of national projects and of interdisciplinary research
KeHO - Central Finland Health and Wellbeing Ecosystem is a competence cluster of experts based in the region

The city is also home to the Jyväskylä Centre for Interdisciplinary Brain Research, a unique establishment in the Finnish scientific field.

Special know-how related to ageing is provided by the Gerontology Research Center Gerec and by the GeroCenter company that offers research and education services in the field of ageing.

Hippos, one of the most significant clusters of exercise, wellbeing and sports in the Nordic countries, will be built close to the city centre over the next few years, with a €150 million investment in its development.

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Hippos – the centre of exercise, sports, and wellbeing

The unique Hippos is the most significant project in the field of sports and wellbeing over the next several years.

Exercise and Wellbeing as Sources of Business

hero-liikunta-ja-hyvinvointi In addition to the research and know-how cluster, there are several sports and wellbeing companies in Jyväskylä. They are active either in innovative wellbeing solutions based on artificial intelligence and robotics, or in providing high-quality coaching and education services.

Technology enterprises

Firstbeat Technologies is an international company in the field of wellness, elite sports, and consumer products. The heart rate analysis that it has developed helps to improve performance and wellness
Emfit - Technological innovations aimed at improving sleep quality and devices ensuring good care for the elderly and those with memory loss diseases
Naava - Smart green walls with a proven ability to enhance wellbeing
Evogenom - Gene tests for sports, wellbeing, and weight control
Protacon Group - Software solutions for healthcare needs
Procemex - Verso Vision is a safety solution designed by Procemex for hospital environments to prevent and reduce patient falls
Onerva Hoiva - Onerva is a secure and real-time instant-messaging service for homecare and nursing homes
The IBM lab at the University of Jyväskylä and the IBM Disruptive Technologies Innovation Hub - A research project coordinated by the University of Jyväskylä with a focus on the IBM technologies
Polar Electro develops, manufactures, and sells heart rate sensors

Service enterprises

Fibion Inc - Sitting and activity analyses.
Salivirta & Partners - Healthcare consulting services
Medics24 - Remote doctor services
Hidden Factor - Individual training to improve performance levels and quality of life
Humap - Development of wellbeing at work from the management point of view
Mobra Finland - A wide variety of wellness and exercise training for companies
MinSim - Simulation-based training services for healthcare professionals and students as well as exercises in active and conscious presence with the use of workshop methods to improve teamwork and interaction skills

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1,400 students in sports and health studies

Jyväskylä provides unique educational opportunities in sports and wellbeing. This ensures organizations will have competent experts to use now and in years to come. The University of Jyväskylä houses the only Faculty of Sport and Health Sciences in Finland and also offers Master’s programmes in wellbeing technology and sports medicine. The cooperation between Gradia and the Kuortane Olympic Training Centre enables e.g. a vocational upper secondary qualification in physical education and in sports instruction in Jyväskylä. Elite athletes thrive in the city because both the Jyväskylä Sports Academy and the JAMK University of Applied Sciences pay particular attention to coordinating the training and higher education of professional athletes.

Optimal Human Performance – a wide-ranging performance evaluation

Optimal Human Performance is an ecosystem created by Business Jyväskylä. This productizes research, management and performance optimization in competitive and elite athletics for international markets. It operates at the cross-section of four scientific fields: physiology, psychology, sociology, and digitality.

Piija Äijänen, Business Advisor

Contact Piija:
+358 40 573 2066
piija.aijanen@jyvaskyla.fi