I decipher the drivers behind Technogym’s innovation strategy for you after my visit to their flagship store in Milan.
When it comes to high-end fitness, one name always comes up: Technogym. Founded in 1983 by Nerio Alessandri in the small town of Cesena, Italy, this company has revolutionised the sports equipment industry by placing technological innovation at the heart of its strategy. Today a world leader, Technogym perfectly illustrates how a well-orchestrated innovation strategy can transform a local startup into an international giant. In this article, I detail this strategy and discuss their latest innovations after visiting their Milan flagship store.
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Key takeaways
- Technogym has invested heavily in R&D since its creation, with an innovation department at the heart of the company. This innovation strategy allows prices to be pushed upwards.
- The digital Mywellness ecosystem connects all the brand’s equipment and services. This makes the customer “captive” to an ecosystem where their data is stored.
- The innovation strategy is based on three pillars: Italian design, cutting-edge technology and a wellness approach. Design in particular allows prices to be pushed upwards, strengthens differentiation and increases the company’s profitability.
- The company closely collaborates with Olympic athletes to develop its products. This is a good strategy to reinforce the high-end perception of its products.
- Technogym Village in Cesena embodies this philosophy of open and collaborative innovation
A revolutionary vision of technological wellness
From its beginnings, Nerio Alessandri had a brilliant intuition: the future of fitness would not lie solely in mechanics, but in artificial intelligence and connectivity. This forward-thinking vision has guided Technogym’s entire development strategy. Unlike its competitors who were content to manufacture machines, the Italian company chose to create a true technological ecosystem.
Innovation at Technogym goes beyond equipment. It encompasses the entire customer experience, from biometric data analysis to personalised training programmes. This holistic approach to wellness has allowed the company to differentiate itself sustainably in a highly competitive market.
This ecosystem is crucial: by using it, customers accumulate their personal data, which strengthens their “lock-in”. Although the GDPR allows data export, no customer can a priori export their training data and re-import it into another platform. This lock-in phenomenon is therefore akin to “forced loyalty”.
Today, with a turnover of over €800 million, Technogym demonstrates that innovation can be a powerful lever for growth. But how does this strategy work in practice?
Technogym has a dedicated sales point (flagship store) in Milan that serves as a showcase for all the brand’s innovations. I had the chance to visit it with one of the managers and you can really feel that everything is designed to elevate the user experience and differentiate from other manufacturers.
The R&D department: the engine of Technogym innovation
At the heart of the Technogym Village, the Research & Development department employs over 200 engineers and designers. This multidisciplinary team constantly works on tomorrow’s technologies, whether artificial intelligence, virtual reality or advanced biometric sensors.
Technogym’s approach to innovation is based on a rigorous methodology. Every new product is the subject of in-depth studies involving physiotherapists, sports doctors and top-level athletes. This close collaboration with the medical and sports world ensures that innovations meet real needs.
A striking example of this approach: the development of the Technogym Checkup, a physical evaluation system using artificial intelligence. This technology, the result of several years of research, allows a user’s fitness level to be analysed in just a few minutes and a personalised programme to be proposed. An innovation that perfectly illustrates the company’s ability to turn complex concepts into accessible solutions.
One of the Technogym innovations that struck me most was these modular dumbbells. You choose the weight and the number of plates adjusts automatically. The space saving is phenomenal compared to traditional dumbbells and this innovation comes at a high price: over €2,000. But it’s brilliant and it’s connected to the entire Technogym ecosystem.
For me, the most emblematic product of this innovation strategy is the Technogym Connected Dumbbells. These dumbbells are not only connected but also modular. You choose the weight for your workout and a clever patented system selects the number of cast iron plates needed. The space saving is huge.
The Technogym Connected Dumbbells are the very essence of Technogym’s innovation strategy. The added value for the end user is enormous and the user experience is completely transformed. Needless to say, cheap Chinese copies are already on sale via social networks.
The Mywellness digital ecosystem: a connected revolution
If Technogym is today the leader in fitness innovation, it is largely thanks to its Mywellness digital ecosystem. This platform connects all the brand’s equipment and allows users to track their performance in real time, wherever they are in the world.
In practice, a member of a Technogym-equipped gym can start their workout in Paris, continue it in a New York hotel and finish at home on their personal equipment, all while maintaining continuity of data and programmes. This vision of borderless training represents a real technological breakthrough.
Innovation does not stop there. Mywellness also integrates virtual coaching features, predictive analysis and personalised recommendations based on artificial intelligence. This data-driven approach optimises results for each user while collecting valuable information to continuously improve products.
The Technogym flagship store in Milan is an ode to Italian design.
Italian design and technological excellence: a winning alliance
One of Technogym’s strengths lies in its ability to combine technological excellence with Italian design. This innovation strategy never neglects the aesthetic aspect of products, considering that emotion plays a crucial role in the user experience.
Every piece of Technogym equipment is the subject of meticulous work with renowned designers. The aim: to create machines that are not only high-performing but also beautiful and pleasant to use. This attention to design explains in part why Technogym equipment equips the world’s most beautiful hotels and luxury residences.
This “beautiful and intelligent” philosophy is also found in the architecture of the Technogym Village. This 60,000 m² campus designed by Antonio Citterio perfectly embodies the company’s vision: a place where innovation, well-being and aesthetics come together harmoniously.
This machine is somewhat the essence of Technogym design. You no longer know whether it’s training equipment or a design piece. Whatever it is, beyond the design, the equipment is also innovative since Technogym has replaced resistance with weights with resistance created by electric motors. The user experience is completely transformed.
Olympic partnerships: innovation at the service of performance
Since the Sydney Olympics in 2000, Technogym has made top-level sport a privileged laboratory for innovation. This partnership strategy with the world’s biggest sporting events allows the company to test its technologies in extreme conditions and gather feedback from the planet’s best athletes.
For the Paris 2024 Games, Technogym supplied over 1,200 pieces of training equipment distributed across 29 gyms. This collaboration goes beyond simply supplying equipment: it involves full technical support and adaptation of technologies to the specific needs of each discipline.
These Olympic partnerships generate a virtuous circle of innovation. Athlete feedback directly feeds into R&D programmes, enabling the development of ever more high-performing technologies that then benefit all Technogym users.
The future of innovation at Technogym
Looking to the future means anticipating tomorrow’s trends. At Technogym, the innovation strategy is now oriented towards three major axes: predictive artificial intelligence, immersive virtual reality and connected preventive medicine.
The company is notably working on algorithms capable of predicting injury risks and automatically adapting training programmes. This preventive approach, made possible by analysing millions of data points collected via the Mywellness ecosystem, could revolutionise sports practice.
At the same time, Technogym is exploring the possibilities offered by virtual reality to create totally immersive training experiences. Imagine being able to run through the streets of Tokyo or cycle in the Alps from your living room: this futuristic vision is gradually becoming reality thanks to the innovations of the Italian company.
I loved the Kinesis Personal Vision. It’s not within everyone’s budget (around €12,000) but admit it’s beautiful and this equipment would fit in the most beautiful apartments in New York or Paris.
Frequently asked questions
How does Technogym finance its innovation investments?
Technogym devotes around 6% of its turnover to research and development, or nearly €50 million per year. This massive investment strategy is made possible by the company’s profitability and its leadership position in the high-end market. The company also benefits from European subsidies for certain collaborative research projects.
What are the main challenges of innovation in the fitness sector?
The main challenge is integrating complex technologies into robust and reliable equipment. Fitness machines must operate 24/7 in sometimes harsh environments while remaining easy to use. Technogym must also manage the security of personal data collected via its connected equipment, a major issue in the GDPR era.
How does Technogym innovation influence the fitness market?
Technogym plays a pioneering role that pushes the entire sector towards more innovation. Its technological advances, particularly in connectivity and artificial intelligence, are gradually adopted by the competition. This dynamic benefits all users and contributes to the positive evolution of the fitness industry.
What are Technogym’s next innovation projects?
Without revealing all its secrets, Technogym is currently working on integrating even more precise biometric sensors, developing personalised virtual assistants and exploring blockchain possibilities to secure health data. The company is also exploring applications of its technologies in the medical and rehabilitation fields.
