16.04.2025 Science and policy

Science Sparring supported the evidence base for promoting physical activity, sports, and elite sports

In early 2025, the Finnish Academy of Science and Letters organised a Science Sparring, focusing on the promotion of physical activity, sports, and elite sports. In this co-creative workshop, researchers and civil servants discussed the underlying factors affecting the topic. The Science Sparring was organised in collaboration with the National Sports Council.

Science Sparring is a deliberative and facilitated dialogue between researchers and policymakers that strengthens the evidence base for policy formulation. It is a method developed by the Finnish Academy of Science and Letters.

The goal was to strengthen the knowledge base for the National Sports Council’s future and foresight work, and to increase the systemic understanding of the factors influencing the promotion of physical activity, sports, and elite sports, as well as the relationships between these factors. Additionally, researchers commented on the conclusions of the statistical and foresight report being prepared by the National Sports Council.

The National Sports Council serves as a panel of experts assisting the Ministry of Culture and Education. The Council is tasked to address issues of fundamental importance to sports and physical activity, and evaluate the impact of government policies to the field of sports and physical activity. This includes submitting initiatives and making proposals to develop sports and physical activity, issuing opinions on the allocation of budget appropriations for sports and physical activity within its mandate.

The Science Sparring consisted of a full-day co-creative workshop, during which a system overview of the topics was created. During discussions, participants identified underlying drivers of physical activity, sports and elite sports, discussed their relationships, and mapped critical factors affecting them all. Knowledge brokers designed and planned the approach to the Sparring to align with the knowledge need, facilitated discussions, and summarised the main outcomes.

During the workshop, participants worked in small groups focusing on everyday physical activity, recreational sports, and elite sports. The final output provides a system overview of all three themes. Additionally, each theme has its own overview.

You can find a summary of the system overview and a link to the entire final product at the end of this news item.

Fourteen researchers and civils servants participated in the Science Sparring: Outi Aarresola (University of Jyväskylä), Katja Borodulin (Age Institute), Harri Helajärvi (Paavo Nurmi Center), Kati Hyvärinen (Traficom), Jouni Kallio (City of Jyväskylä), Katja Kokko (University of Jyväskylä), Sami Kokko (University of Jyväskylä), Minttu Korsberg (Ministry of Education and Culture), Jari Lämsä (Finnish Institute for High Performance Sport KIHU), Miliza Malmelin (Ministry of the Environment), Toni Piispanen (National Sports Council), Saku Rikala (National Sports Council), Petri Tapio (University of Turku), Riikka Turtiainen (University of Turku).