EuropeActive has released its latest information and insight paper, focusing on how digital solutions are transforming the European fitness and physical activity sector.

Titled Innovation and digitalisation in Europe, the paper offers an outline of the current EU strategy on digitalisation and how it might impact the fitness and wellness sector.

It also looks at future trends and what links can be made between innovations in the fitness sector and EU policy.

Among the future trends identified in the report is the importance of digital skills in developing "tomorrow's fitness workforce".

"With more fitness facilities relying on digital platforms in the future, investments in the fitness workforce’s digital upskilling will be crucial," the report reads.

Another key trend is the increased use of artificial intelligence (AI) in everyday operations – and how the use of AI will be governed in the future.

"AI has been introduced in the fitness industry with simple customer-related tasks – for instance, with answering services, class registration, chatbots for customer support or statistical calculations," the report states.

"There is no doubt that more fitness operators will look for further AI applications in their businesses, to process a wealth of data in order to target specific segments of clients, or propose personalised offers.

"This will have to be monitored, in relation with the future EU regulation regarding AI."

A third key digital trend identified in the report is the utilisation of user data and management of apps.

"Staff and client management apps have become popular in the fitness industry," the report reads.

"Now fitness operators seek more and more solutions like an ‘omnichannel’ or a ‘one-app’ approach (“All data in one place”). This links with future EU policy developments, in terms of customer data and ePrivacy."

• To access and read the entire Innovation and digitalisation in Europe report,
click here to download it from the EuropeActive website.