Keys to analyze the evolution and development of sports through innovation studies

A sort of new analytical frameworks developed in innovation studies field, which advocate a multidimensional analysis of innovation dynamics and are highlighting the wide diversity of sources and types of innovation, open up new possibilities for exploring the innovative and creative processes in sports field. Such approaches allow us, on the one hand, to study the technological and commercial innovations marketed by sports industries, although often they are coming from users and particular developers. In turn, on the other hand, they are also allowing us to visualize the potential of sport as a driving force of social and cultural innovation. Nevertheless we find necessary to expand the analytical perspective one step further and propose a third way to study innovation dynamics in sports that will allow us to grasp the specific innovation processes emerging thanks to the deep interconnections and articulations between enterprises, public institutions, civil society and players (or fans) existing in different sports. Thus, we consider that there are innovative dynamics that create value in a multidimensional way (economic, technological, athletic, social and cultural) that need to be analyzed and studied for a complete understanding of the phenomenon and its implications for the development of sports.