The Spanish Olympic Committee -COE- hosted the meeting of the Digital Technology and Artificial Intelligence Commission of the European Olympic Committees -EOC- at its headquarters in Madrid, in a working session focused on the role of technological innovation in the development of sport and the digital transformation of sports organisations. The meeting was chaired by Victoria Cabezas, a member of the EOC Executive Committee and president of the commission, and brought together representatives from several national Olympic committees as well as specialists from the digital and organisational fields.

This commission serves as a coordination space to share progress, review priorities and discuss how digital tools can be applied to the management of sport, from artificial intelligence to process modernisation and the strategic use of data. According to ANOC, the meeting also helped align ongoing initiatives and future priorities among the different stakeholders involved.

What the commission is looking for and why it matters to Olympic sport

During the session, discussions covered issues such as the use of artificial intelligence in sport, process digitalisation, innovation in data management and the exchange of experience between countries. The aim was to share best practices, strengthen international cooperation and open the door to joint projects in an environment where technology is beginning to take on an increasingly structural role within sports organisations. The COE itself presented the meeting as a sign of its commitment to innovation and the modernisation of sport.

The scope of the discussion was also more concrete than a generic reference to AI and digitalisation might suggest. ANOC explained that the meeting reviewed matters linked to IT provider agreements for the European Games Istanbul 2027, and that the conversations also focused on the growing role of artificial intelligence within national Olympic committees, including ongoing studies and future lines of work. In the same context, the association reaffirmed its intention to collaborate on future initiatives, including the development of a common framework for the ethical use of artificial intelligence.

From strategic debate to practical tools

The digital agenda discussed at the COE also had a practical extension in the participants’ visit to the Deloitte Sports Innovation Hub in Madrid. The move was significant, as it linked the institutional debate to a space designed precisely to turn that conversation into solutions, services and testing environments applied to sport and major events. According to ANOC, the visit served to exchange perspectives and explore views from across the industry.

According to Deloitte, the hub is conceived as a place where the different actors in the sports ecosystem can innovate together and where sports organisations and major events can work to achieve leadership in their field and build a lasting legacy. The firm defines the space as an integrator that connects vision, cities, events and sporting excellence, while bringing together under one roof capabilities linked to digital transformation, generative artificial intelligence, broadcasting, marketing, growth, esports, sustainability, athlete impact and diversity.

Deloitte’s hub and its place within the Olympic agenda

That role gains added meaning within the Olympic framework. Deloitte and the International Olympic Committee -IOC- expanded their global collaboration in 2024 so that the company would act as Games Technology Integration Partner from Milano Cortina 2026 to Brisbane 2032, in an extension of the Olympic partnership first launched in 2022. In that context, Deloitte is involved in strengthening the digital ecosystem of the Olympic Movement and in developing technological infrastructure aimed at improving, securing and making the operation of future editions of the Games more efficient.

The meeting held in Madrid and the subsequent visit to the hub therefore leave a fairly clear underlying message: artificial intelligence, digitalisation and data management are no longer peripheral issues within Olympic sport. For national committees, they are already part of an agenda that affects governance, event preparation, international cooperation and the future relationship with athletes, federations and fans. This week, the COE turned Madrid into one of the meeting points for that conversation, in a city where strategic discussion is also beginning to find practical tools for development.