The IBV receives the endorsement of the FIFA Research Institute
The Instituto de Biomecánica (IBV) has been appointed as a “FIFA Research Institute for Football Technology and Innovation”. The centre already holds numerous distinctions in the field of sport, but this particular distinction positions it as the Spanish centre with the most recognitions from Spanish and international sports federations and benchmark bodies such as the ENAC (the Spanish Accreditation Body).
This distinction means that the IBV will be working directly with FIFA on key projects that address challenges such as sustainability, the democratisation of technology and the development of global standards for football.
“Our relationship with FIFA began more than 20 years ago”, said Juan Carlos González, Director of Innovation in Sport, Footwear and Clothing at the IBV. “We were the first Spanish centre to be accredited for the certification of artificial turf playing surfaces for football, both in the laboratory and in the field, as part of its Quality Programme, and this new recognition is the culmination of our solid alliance with the International Federation”.
A pioneering international project, led by Spain
As part of its collaboration with FIFA as a FIFA Research Institute, the IBV is leading an innovative project to study the interaction between football boots and different playing surfaces. The aim of this project is to establish clear guidelines for both players and for sports footwear manufacturers to ensure that boots are designed to offer optimal performance and greater safety for players on the surfaces on which the sport is played.
“Although football boots play a key role in how a player interacts with the playing surface and the ball, there are currently no specific standards or FIFA-recognised quality certifications for this type of equipment. Our goal is to lay the foundations for a future quality programme that will benefit the entire industry and the sport in general”, explained González.
For this project, the IBV will be working with the European University of Valencia on those aspects most closely related to the biomechanical assessment of athletes and their interaction with footwear.
International cooperation and global impact
The IBV’s designation as a FIFA Research Institute will allow it to work with other international research centres, bodies and experts in technology applied to sport. The aim of this collaboration is not only to improve the performance of football boots and playing surfaces, but also to contribute to the development of global quality and sustainability standards in football.
“Our extensive experience as a FIFA centre for the certification of artificial and natural turf playing surfaces, as well as our expertise in standardisation and advanced research in areas such as human factors and biomechanics, allows us to contribute to the development of new standards that will allow this massively popular game to develop”, González concludes.
With this recognition, the IBV reaffirms its commitment to scientific excellence and technological innovation and consolidates its position as a key player in the transformation of a sport as important as football.
