As part of the Sport and International Business course, a unique collaboration with the Wirtschaftskammer Österreich offers students the opportunity to explore the dynamic intersection of sports and international business. This partnership enables participants to gain practical insights into international market opportunities, export strategies, and innovation within the global sports industry.

The course focuses on the economic relevance of the global sports industry, highlighting international business opportunities, export strategies, and innovation potential for Austrian companies. The course includes a series of expert guest speaker sessions to support student research and deepen practical understanding.

Throughout the semester, students worked in teams on real-world consulting projects related to market entry strategies and innovation in the sports sector. These projects were developed under joint academic and industry supervision and covered three key themes:

• Sport as Business – the economic significance of the sports industry in Austria

• Sport Exports – outbound international opportunities for Austrian companies

• Sport Imports – inbound innovations relevant to the Austrian sports business sector

A highlight of the course was the diverse lineup of guest speakers, who shared insights from different areas of the sports economy, including strategy, digitalization, health, and innovation. Speakers included:

• Paul Eder (WKO)

• Clemens Schwaiger (McKinsey)

• Lukas Zitz (Advantage Austria)

• Lorenz Kirchschlager (Admiral Sportwetten)

• SP Charamza (Austrian Football Association – ÖFB)

• Maurizio Valenti (University of Manchester)

• Harald Fux (Raum +)

• Thomas Freismuth (Grow)

• Thomas Berger (Laola1), on Digital Sports

• Prof. Dr. Jürgen Scharhag (Medical University of Vienna), on Sports Medicine

• Raphael Rigoberto Thonhauser (FK Austria Wien), on the Club Perspective