Research group
SVI – Sport, Vitality & Impact
We strengthen the vitality and social impact of sports organisations, events and communities. We combine sport, business, research and practical development to create solutions that benefit clubs, federations, events, municipalities, businesses and other sport stakeholders.
A new perspective on sports innovation and commercialisation
Sport is an important part of society, regional vitality, community and working life. Clubs, sports federations, events, volunteers, athletes, businesses and municipalities form an ecosystem that impacts on business, well-being, inclusion, skills development and the attractiveness of regions.
However, sport-related research and development in Finland is scattered. There has not been sufficient consideration of the whole from an applied, workplace-oriented and practical development perspective.
Our research group brings a new unifying perspective to this need: we develop business, vitality and social impact around sport. Its strength lies in its ability to combine research, education, project activities and partnerships with industry to deliver concrete solutions.
Our work focuses on four key themes:
1
We strengthen the accountability and vitality of sports organisations.
We develop the governance, accountability, sponsorship, fundraising and operating models of clubs, sports federations and other sports communities.
2
We research and develop the impact of sporting events.
We help events, municipalities, businesses and regions to understand and exploit the economic, social and regional impact of sporting events.
3
We build pathways and support career transitions in sport.
We develop solutions for career transitions, mentoring, training, entrepreneurship and work-life links for athletes, coaches and other sport professionals.
4
We are developing volunteering and partnerships in the world of sport.
We will research and pilot solutions to strengthen the vitality of sport and regions through volunteering and community involvement.
We want to make Turku University of Applied Sciences a strong developer of the vitality and impact of sport. The work of our research groupis based on practical needs: we research, pilot and develop solutions together with clubs, sports federations, athletes, events, municipalities and businesses. For us, sport is about communities, knowledge, business, regional development and impact.
Arto Kuuluvainen, Research Group Leader
Become our partner
Would you like to develop the vitality and impact of sport?
We offer partners research, development and expertise services, which can take the form of RDI projects, studies, training, workshops, student projects or paid expert services.
Working with us, you get:
- research-based information to support decision-making and development,
- partner project design, funding applications and piloting; and
- practical solutions to strengthen the vitality and impact of sport.
Our services can be related, for example, to developing the vitality of sports clubs and federations, strengthening sponsorship and fundraising, evaluating the impact of sporting events, developing volunteer activities, career transitions for athletes and commercialising sports innovations.
We are also a partner in the planning and preparation of projects. We help identify development needs, build networks of partners, construct financially viable project concepts and provide information to support decision-making.
These projects have also developed the themes of sports clubs, regional vitality, community, club activities and the business impact of sport:
- SEVIA – Making the area more enjoyable through club activities
- Traction and grip
- The value of sport
Athletes’ Transition Tools for Achieving Horizons (ATTACH-U)
Athletes’ career transitions to new talent paths
In the ATTACH-U project, Turku University of Applied Sciences, together with international partners, is developing solutions for athletes’ transitions to working life after their sports career. The project is building a model of mentoring, education and practical career paths, especially from the perspectives of entrepreneurship, coaching and B2B sales.
The project is a good example of how the research groupworks: we identify a need in the field of sport, build an international partnership and produce practical solutions at the interface between sport and working life.
Our experts
The research group’s experts combine expertise in sports business, sports marketing, sponsorship and fundraising, club development, events, volunteering, athletes’ career transitions, international project work, pedagogical development and effective communication.
The group makes extensive use of the expertise of Turku UAS experts, and its activities are also strongly linked to Turku UAS degree programmes, student projects and continuous learning.
Meet our experts
Arto Kuuluvainen, PhD, is a sports business expert, non-fiction writer and lecturer whose expertise focuses on sports business, sports marketing, sports commercialisation and athletes’ career transitions. He has taught sports management and marketing content at several universities and has collaborated with sports federations, clubs and the media. He also has practical experience in club management in both operational and board roles.
Jaakko Haltia is an expert and lecturer in sports business, sports marketing and sports management. He teaches at the Turku University of Applied Sciences, among other subjects, sports business. Haltia has developed the University Diploma in Sports Sponsorship and Fundraising at Turku University of Applied Sciences and has strong experience in the development of sport organisations, clubs and league activities.
Harri Lappalainen is an expert in international EU projects, innovative pedagogical concepts, quality assurance, communication and exploitation of results. He has over 25 years of experience in international EU projects. His expertise will strengthen the research group’s ability to build impactful projects, disseminate results and translate development work into practical benefits.
Check out our publications
Kuuluvainen, Arto 2026. Sports Spectatorship in the Nordic Countries: The Exceptional Role of Ice Hockey in Finland. Scandinavian Sport Studies Forum, 17, 53–69.
https://sportstudies.org/2026/04/08/sports-spectatorship-in-the-nordic-countries-the-exceptional-role-of-ice-hockey-in-finland/
Jalonen, Harri; Haltia, Jaakko; Tuominen, Sasu & Ryömä, Arto 2017. Arvonluonnin pelikirja urheilun ja liiketoiminnan rajapintaan. Turun ammattikorkeakoulun tutkimuksia 47.
https://www.turkuamk.fi/julkaisu/arvonluonnin-pelikirja-urheilun-ja-liiketoiminnan-rajapintaan/
Kuuluvainen, Arto 2026. Beyond Sport: Why Athletes Have More to Offer in Sales Than Employers Realise. Talk Journal, 15.4.2026.
Kuuluvainen, Arto & Haltia, Jaakko 2025. Ilo, yhteisö ja arvot – Power Cup opetti merkityksellisyyden reseptin. Talk Journal.
Kuuluvainen, Arto & Haltia, Jaakko 2025. Miten urheiluinnovaatiot kaupallistetaan – oppia Tanskan mallista. Talk Journal.
Kuuluvainen, Arto 2025. Leadership in Context: Sports, Business, and the Danger of Simple Analogies. Talk Journal.
Kuuluvainen, Arto 2023. Urheilumyynnin osaajia tarvitaan lisää. Talk Journal.
Kuuluvainen, Arto 2023.”Kadotetut sielut” – urheiluseurojen unohdettu voimavara? Talk Journal.
Diploma in Sports Sponsorship and Fundraising
The research group is strongly linked to the University Diploma in Sports Sponsorship and Fundraising (USVA), which strengthens the commercial skills, sponsorship, sales and fundraising of sports organisations. The course also provides an important link with sports clubs, federations and other sports practitioners.
We also use the training as a platform for teaching-TKI integration: students can participate in guided activities such as studies, case analyses, interviews, development tasks and project preparation.
6 USVA annual courses, 150 participants
The University Diploma has brought together sports, sales, sponsorship and fundraising developers over six years (by 2026).
A versatile and reliable partner
We work with clubs, sports federations, athletes’ representatives, events, companies, municipalities, universities and international sports organisations on projects, studies, training, pilots and student projects.
Key partners in university and research cooperation include.
- University of Turku
- University of Münster
- Norwegian School of Sport Sciences
- Universidad de Sevilla
- Universitat Politècnica de València
- University of Applied Sciences Wiener Neustadt
International and national sports networks bring the perspective of practical sports organisations, athletes and elite sports to the cooperation. They include.
- Sport Ireland
- Finnish Paralympic Committee
- Finnish Football Players’ Association
The research group acts as a practical development partner in club and event cooperation. Examples of partners include
- Turku Palloseura
- FC Inter Turku
- Kaarina Boys
- Hurrikaani-Loimaa
- Loimaan Jankko
Strong project skills
Turku University of Applied Sciences’ Project Office offers support and guidance throughout the life cycle of an RDI project. Our project experts have years of experience and strong expertise in national and international funding programmes. We have more than 200 projects running every year, and our RDI activities have received more than €10 million in external funding.