Human-centric innovation in the Sport Industry 5.0 era

The field of sport and exercise sciences is undergoing a transformative shift with the advent of Industry 5.0, an era that prioritizes human-centricity, resilience, and sustainability through sophisticated technological advancements. In recent years, the sport industry has witnessed the rapid integration of artificial intelligence, robotics, Internet of Things (IoT), digital twins, and extended reality (XR) into all aspects of its ecosystem. While these developments have spurred innovation in personalized training, athlete support, smart infrastructure, and fan engagement, they simultaneously raise questions about how best to harmonize technological progress with the needs, values, and well-being of all stakeholders in sport. Ongoing debates focus on fostering meaningful human–technology collaboration, ensuring ethics and data privacy, and maintaining the pivotal social and cultural roles of physical activity in a digitized world. Significant research is taking place on AI-driven coaching, automated training environments, and the use of neurotechnology to optimize human performance. However, a comprehensive approach exploring how such innovations can be aligned with human values, support sustainable practices, and address emerging ethical challenges is still limited.This Research Topic aims to advance understanding and foster collaboration across disciplines to ensure that technological innovation in sport remains focused on enriching human experiences and social good. Key objectives include exploring how human–AI synergy can enhance personalized coaching and fan engagement; evaluating the potential of smart facilities and sustainable design for improving well-being and environmental outcomes; and analyzing the ethical, managerial, and governance challenges arising from increased automation and digitalization. The goal is to generate new frameworks, empirical evidence, and policy recommendations that help shape the future of sport in alignment with the principles of Industry 5.0.To gather further insights into how human-centric innovation and advanced technology can collaboratively shape the future of the sport industry, we welcome articles addressing, but not limited to, the following themes:• Personalized training, coaching, and engagement enabled by human–AI collaboration• Development and impact of smart and sustainable sports facilities• Role of robots, wearables, and neurotechnology in athlete well-being and performance• New governance models, ethical considerations, and human dynamics in tech-integrated sport• Economic, social, and cultural transformations driven by human-centric digital innovation in sports Topic editors: Ekaterina Glebova, Jerónimo García-Fernández, Michel Desbordes Source: https://www.frontiersin.org/research-topics/78276/human-centric-innovation-in-the-sport-industry-50-era