The European sporting goods industry generates tens of billions in annual revenue and employs hundreds of thousands of people across the continent. However, according to Ariane Gatti, its most important contribution may be one that never appears in trade statistics. As Communications Manager at FESI — the federation representing Europe’s sporting goods sector — Gatti sits at the intersection of industry, policy, and sport participation. For SGI Europe’s Impact of Sports Special, she makes a compelling case: the industry does far more than supply products. It removes barriers to participation, enables healthier communities, and quietly supports some of Europe’s most pressing social challenges — from inactivity and inequality to social isolation. The question is whether policymakers, and the industry itself, have fully understood the scale of that role.
SGI Europe: The sporting goods industry is often measured in market data and trade figures. But what does the data tell us about sport’s actual societal impact — on health, community cohesion, mental wellbeing?
Ariana Gatti: While market data and trade figures are important indicators of the sporting goods industry’s economic contribution, they only capture part of the picture. The broader impact of sport is reflected in the way it improves people’s lives — through better health outcomes, stronger communities, and enhanced physical and mental wellbeing.
The data consistently shows that physical activity is closely linked to improved health, helping to reduce the risk of chronic diseases, support healthier lifestyles, and ease pressure on healthcare systems. However, the societal value of sport goes beyond physical health. Participation in sport creates opportunities for social interaction, builds confidence, develops skills, and strengthens connections between people from different backgrounds. Sport can serve as a common language that unites communities and fosters inclusion.
For the sporting goods industry, this highlights that the products and innovations we provide are not simply consumer goods — they are enablers of participation. Access to appropriate equipment, clothing, footwear, and technology can influence whether people feel confident, safe, and motivated to take part in physical activity. In this sense, the industry contributes to creating the conditions that allow the wider benefits of sport to be realised.
The policy gap: Sport is still a “sport issue” when it should be everything else
EU sport policy has gained momentum in recent years. From FESI’s perspective, where is the biggest gap between what policymakers understand about sport’s value and what the industry experiences on the ground?
From FESI’s perspective, one of the main gaps between EU sport policy ambition and real-world experience is that the value of sport and physical activity is increasingly recognised in principle, but not yet consistently reflected in how policies are designed and implemented across sectors.
Policymakers are right to highlight sport’s contribution to public health, social inclusion, education, and wellbeing. However, on the ground, increasing participation depends on a much wider set of factors: access to facilities, affordability, safe environments, motivation, and everyday opportunities to be active. This is where a more holistic approach is needed.
A key gap is that sport and physical activity are still often treated as a “sport policy issue” rather than a cross-sector priority. In practice, activity levels are shaped as much by transport planning, education systems, workplace policy, and health prevention strategies as they are by sport policy alone. FESI sees a strong need for better alignment across these areas to unlock participation at scale.
Sustainability and social responsibility are increasingly part of the industry conversation. How does FESI see the link between a more sustainable sporting goods industry and broader access to sport?
FESI sees a strong link between sustainability, social responsibility, and broader access to sport and physical activity. A more sustainable sporting goods industry is not only about reducing environmental impact, but also about strengthening the conditions that enable participation. Longer-lasting, repairable, and more circular products can help make sport more affordable and accessible, lowering barriers for people to stay active.
There is also a clear social dimension. Inclusive design, responsible sourcing, and attention to diverse needs help ensure that more people can take part in sport, regardless of ability, background, or income. In this sense, sustainability supports inclusion.
At the same time, FESI stresses that sustainability policies must be carefully designed so they do not unintentionally increase costs or reduce the quality and performance of sporting goods. The balance between functionality and sustainable design is complex — and has to be openly acknowledged. Overall, our view is that sustainability and access to sport should reinforce each other: a resilient industry is one that is both environmentally responsible and able to keep sport accessible for all.
Changing Europe: A pact for sport and physical activity
Looking ahead — what would a Europe that truly leverages sport as a tool for societal impact look like, and what needs to change to get there?
A Europe that fully leverages sport as a tool for societal impact would be one where sport and physical activity are embedded in everyday life and policy decisions — not treated as a standalone sector. In that Europe, participation would be easier and more inclusive across all ages and backgrounds. Cities would be designed to support active mobility, schools would prioritise daily movement, workplaces would systematically encourage activity, and health systems would use sport more strongly as a prevention tool.
It would also be a Europe that better recognises sport tourism as part of this ecosystem — where events, active travel, outdoor recreation, and major competitions generate not only economic value but also drive participation and long-term activity habits.
Getting there requires a shift from fragmented action to a true cross-sector approach. FESI sees a clear need for stronger European coordination tools. A European Pact for Sport and Physical Activity could help establish a shared strategic direction across Member States. In parallel, a European Observatory on Physical Activity would enable better monitoring and evaluation of policies and participation trends — supporting evidence-based decision-making across Europe.
From awareness to action: the lessons of HL4EU
FESI was recently a partner in the HL4EU project — a cross-sectoral initiative on healthy lifestyles, co-funded by the EU’s Erasmus+ programme. What were the key takeaways for the sporting goods industry, and how does a project like this translate into tangible change?
A key takeaway from HL4EU is that it helped move the conversation on sport and physical activity from awareness to practical cross-sector action backed by evidence and policy recommendations.
For the sporting goods industry, one important insight is that the determinants of physical activity go far beyond sport itself. HL4EU reinforced that addressing non-communicable diseases and inactivity requires tackling root causes across transport, education, health, and workplace environments — not just improving access to sport products. This strengthens the industry’s role as part of a wider enabling ecosystem.
The project delivered concrete outputs: an online platform collecting best practices on cross-sector collaboration across Europe; a set of policy recommendations under the HL4EU Call for Action; and evidence-based insights translating real-world experience into policy direction. These outcomes provide EU and national decision-makers with structured recommendations, reinforce the need for collaboration across sectors, and support more coherent initiatives that make it easier for individuals to integrate physical activity into daily life.
Impact of Sports
Physical inactivity keeps rising, and with it the risk to this industry's future. Our Impact of Sports series follows the evidence, from global data to the brands and policymakers working to get more people moving.
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