Featured image credit: Paris Saint-Germain
Paris Saint-Germain has launched PSG Labs, a global initiative designed to accelerate cutting-edge technology in sports, fan experience, and performance, with stadiums and training grounds one of three focus areas.
PSG Labs will serve as the Ligue 1 club’s dedicated innovation engine, identifying and supporting high-potential startups, entrepreneurs, and tech partners to create “transformative solutions that will redefine the industry”.
PSG, which is owned by Qatar Sports Investments (QSI), has said the first international PSG Lab will be based in Doha. PSG Labs will work closely with select partners in key technology ecosystems to accelerate the development of breakthrough innovations across the focus areas of:
- Fan Experience – Enhancing how fans engage with PSG, both in Paris and around the world, through immersive and digital-first innovations.
- Stadium & Training Ground – From smart stadiums that elevate the overall fan experience to cutting-edge enhancements at Paris Saint Germain’s training facilities.
- Health & Performance – Leveraging sports science, AI, and wearable technology to optimise player performance and well-being.
The launch of PSG Labs in Doha marks the first step in the club’s international innovation expansion. The regional lab intends to serve as a gateway to emerging technology in the Middle East, allowing PSG to partner with top local and international startups, explore new advancements in sports tech and digital engagement, and develop solutions that can be scaled globally.
“Paris Saint-Germain has always been at the forefront of innovation – both on and off the pitch,” said Nasser Al-Khelaïfi, president of Paris Saint-Germain.
“PSG Labs is a natural extension of our ambition to shape the future of sports. By collaborating with the brightest innovators from around the world, we can accelerate game-changing ideas and further solidify our position as a global leader in innovation. With our first international PSG Lab in Doha, our goal is to drive innovation on a global scale and set new benchmarks for the entire sports industry.”
Jerry Newman, chief digital and innovation officer of Paris Saint-Germain, added: “This is a major step in PSG’s innovation journey. By launching this innovation lab in Doha, PSG is demonstrating the impact that visionary leadership and global collaboration can have in shaping the future of sports.”
The inclusion of stadiums and training grounds in PSG Labs comes as the club faces up to a decision over its future stadium strategy. In February last year, Al-Khelaifi stated that PSG would seek to move from the Parc des Princes following the City of Paris’ definitive declaration that the stadium is not for sale.
The City moved to end the prospect of PSG acquiring the Parc des Princes, with Mayor Anne Hidalgo stating “the subject is closed”. The Council of Paris voted in favour of ensuring that PSG’s current home will remain the property of the City and will not be made available for sale, as the club has been hoping.
Relations between the City and PSG over the future of the Parc des Princes have been at a standstill for some time. PSG is currently engaged in a 30-year lease deal for the Parc with the City, which is due to expire at the end of 2043.
PSG has been forthright in its belief that the acquisition of the stadium is essential to it conducting a proposed expansion from the current capacity of around 48,000 to 60,000.
Last week it emerged that the commune of Ris-Orangis had set out its vision to repurpose a 97-hectare plot of land as a potential site of a new stadium for PSG that could seat between 60,000 and 90,000 fans.
Located in the southern suburbs of the French capital, Ris-Orangis is one of a number of locations that has come forward to potentially solve PSG’s stadium challenges.
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