ISPO Open Innovation And Toray Partner For New Innovations

New Products and Innovation

ISPO Open Innovation And Toray Partner For New Innovations

Consumers and members of the ISPO OPEN INNOVATION community will have the exclusive possibility to test the latest TORAY technologies in three different projects.

This service of ISPO is bringing brands closer to consumers and represents a direct, product-oriented dialogue with them. Companies have the possibility to integrate experts and consumers actively in their development processes and consequently to develop products that are more in tune with customer needs. The Japanese technology expert TORAY, leading in the manufacture of innovative performance textiles, is now going to use this service of ISPO. Consumers and members of the ISPO OPEN INNOVATION community can join three different projects to test the latest TORAY technologies in the ready-for-production brand products of Bergans, Haglöfs and CEP. The product range of the tested technologies covers base layers, mid-layers and hardshells.

"TORAY is an innovation-driven technology company and the ISPO OPEN INNOVATION projects offer a very interesting approach. The consumer and retailers request to be more deeply involved with brands and their product creation than in the past. This direct feedback helps TORAY to co-create new products and bring innovation to the market faster and expand our technology leadership. We are very pleased about the partnership with ISPO and that the brands Bergans, Haglöfs and CEP develop pioneering innovation projects with us" says Steffen Meiler, Head of Marketing, TORAY International Europe.

Tobias Gröber, Division Manager of Consumer Products at Messe München, commented on the collaboration, "We have succeeded in establishing a completely new way of direct consumer communication for the sporting goods industry in just 12 months. The innovation partnership with TORAY proves that our offer is being accepted and that it works. We are looking forward to exciting projects with a high degree of participation."

The brand partners are looking forward to the joint projects. “We already do product testing with selected focus groups. Moving this feedback to an online based discussion between our product development and real consumers is the next step in product feedback for us” comments Christoph Centmayer, Marketing & Communications Manager of Bergans. “We’re excited to launch a new product with TORAY and to receive consumer feedback already ahead of the official retail launch” says Richard Jägrud, Product Director of Haglöfs

“As we are launching into a complete new product category with TORAY, receiving early consumer feedback will help the market launch tremendously” says Jochen Seitz, CEP Product Management at medi GmbH & Co. KG