Papieri People
Hans-Jürg Gebhardt und Jaromir Fuoli
ProMetrics: Sophisticated performance analysis shows athletes who they are
The minds behind ProMetrics aren’t exactly reinventing the wheel with their business idea, but they are taking performance analysis in sport to a whole new level. In conversation, Hans-Jürg Gebhardt and Jaromir Fuoli – Gebi and Jari for short – explain what makes their solution so exceptional, which areas the results can have an impact on and what excites them about the Papieri.
The neighborhood around their new headquarters would be perfect for demonstrating their business model – for example with a Papieri Challenge: up the stairs, down the slide, a sprint through Maschinengasse, a swim in the Lorze. All the while, it measures what is happening metabolically in the body, what performance a person can call up at any given moment and what type of athlete you actually are – performance analysis in a nutshell.
«Our expertise lies in digitalizing key parameters such as speed, power output or running style and presenting them in a meaningful, informative way», explains Gebi. The focus is not on performance itself, but on what the data reveals about athletes and dynamics.
«Our expertise lies in digitalizing key parameters such as speed, power output or running style and presenting them in a meaningful, informative way.»
Today, clubs use countless apps and measuring devices, rely on classic stopwatches, transfer information into Excel sheets and painstakingly share it with athletes and officials – every single day. «We combine various tools in a single cockpit that puts the user experience front and center. A coach can open the app and read all the analytics in real time. We analyze users’ needs and approach things differently to how the sports world has done until now», says Jari.
«We show athletes, based on facts, who they are.»
ProMetrics shows athletes, based on facts, who they are. «The most important feature of our service is that tactical decisions can be made in real time on the basis of meaningful data», says Jari. ProMetrics adds value on various levels and for the entire ecosystem: athletes as individuals, teams as a unit, spectators, talent development, coaches, sponsors, physiotherapists and so on.
Using Kinexon sensor technology, the company built an interface between player data and the stadium’s video cube for the ZSC Lions. This makes it possible to share live performance data during a game – for example about the player with the highest power output – on the screens. In this way, a club can position itself, offer fans more and involve sponsors where they receive the most attention.
And previously overlooked but crucial aspects – sports injury prevention among them – can also be tackled on a data basis. What influence does the female cycle have on an athlete’s performance? How can you identify running patterns that are prone to muscle injuries, for instance, and counteract them early on? «We collect data and evaluate it in a meaningful way. On the one hand this protects athletes, and on the other it supports coaches in making tactical decisions», says Gebi.
«We evaluate data in a meaningful way. This protects athletes and supports coaches in making tactical decisions.»
The data collected can in turn be packaged into surprising stories: the junior footballers of SC Cham, for example, generate so many watts per game that the energy produced could light up the stadium for six matches. Or that the team’s cumulative running kilometers over an entire season equal the distance from Cham to Cairo. Stories like these motivate and strengthen team spirit.
«Right now we’re in a phase where we’re experimenting and taking a closer look at various fields that could be exciting. To do that, we work closely with a range of sports clubs», explains Gebi.
«The history of the Papieri has already shaped so many people and is now experiencing a kind of revival.»
The young company around Jari and Gebi takes what already exists and makes it new and clever. That fits the new Papieri neighborhood perfectly. Cham-Tenero AG was Gebi’s first big client in his early years as a businessman, which connects him to the site in a special way.
The history of the Papieri has shaped so many people before them and is now experiencing a kind of revival – entire generations benefit from what is happening in the new Papieri and can grow along with it. «I love that everyone here is making a fresh start. We’re all helping to shape the neighborhood and have to find our feet. That’s a wonderful feeling and a huge opportunity. It’s fantastic», says Gebi.
An energy system with zero CO2 emissions, more than 50% energy self-sufficiency thanks to in-house electricity generation from hydropower and photovoltaics, attractive shared-mobility offerings: the Papieri has vision, both technologically and ecologically. «We are grateful to have our new headquarters in an environment where the spirit of innovation is held in such high regard, and we are proud to be part of it», emphasizes Jari.
You’re sure to run into the two of them now and then over lunch on the big staircase or brainstorming by the Lorze. And if not, then at the latest at the Papieri Challenge.
«We are grateful to have our new headquarters in an environment where the spirit of innovation is held in high regard.»
Contact
ProMetrics
Hans-Jürg Gebhardt and Jaromir Fuoli
www.prometrics.ch
go@prometrics.ch