“You have to pinch yourself at times and think, there are precious few people who can say that their work has influenced products that have appeared in so many World Cup and Champions League finals,” says Prof Andy Harland, professor of sports technology at Loughborough University’s Sports Technology Institute, part of the school of mechanical, electrical and manufacturing engineering.
The “work” he’s referring to are the footballs – kicked by some of the most admired and well-paid feet in the world – which he and his team have been developing in collaboration with adidas. The brand first approached Loughborough University in 2002 wanting to see how the university’s expertise in engineering, aerodynamics, ergonomics and sports science could be used to transform some of its product development ideas into reality.
