The world of running is experiencing a boom. More and more runners are taking up the sport, with approximately 36% of 15 to 65 year-old Europeans (accounting for 80 Million people) taking the streets, parks, forests, and gyms. However, many people start practicing running and then stop: injuries are the main reason not to run for approximately 60% of European runners.
With the objective of developing an innovative and disruptive solution to prevent and reduce running injuries and to increase market competitiveness by exploiting afterwards the business opportunity, New Millennium Sports S.L. (commercially known as KELME) as the major Spanish manufacturer and distributor of sportswear, footwear and equipment for sports, participated in the FP7 Research for the Benefit of SMEs RUNSAFER project. Successfully finalised in October 2014, KELME and its supply chain count now with a functional prototype of RUNSAFER, consisting of a running shoe with embedded technology to measure biomechanical parameters of running while providing real-time feedback and training recommendations to the runner in order to prevent and reduce running injuries.
Our overall objective is to convert RUNSAFER prototype into a commercially-ready wearable device to increase competitiveness and market share and to strengthen our international expansion, becoming the first sport footwear manufacturing company to offer this added-value product.
Firstly, we conducted a feasibility study in Phase 1 in order to assess the technical and economic viability of optimising and industrialising the different hardware, the regulatory issues and the commercialisation strategy, ending with the elaboration of a comprehensive business plan. In Phase 2 we will perform a pilot study to demonstrate RUNSAFER in an operational environment. The new collection of smart running footwear will be ready for commercialization in Phase 3.
