GENEVA, Sept. 16 (Xinhua) -- The International Olympic Committee (IOC) announced Tuesday it has awarded six innovators 40,000 U.S. dollars each for projects that combine sports and technology while contributing to the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDGs).

The program is part of the Olympism 365 Innovation Hub, a global community advancing new ideas and technologies to maximize the impact of sport, the IOC said.

The six projects are All in for Sport, Bamako-Technologie, Foundacion Gold Sports, Positie Impact Events, Sports' Intelligence and Women Emerging, contributed by innovators from Colombia, Britain, Mali and beyond.

"These six projects show how innovators can creatively combine the universality of sport with the potential of technology to advance the UN SDGs," said Ollie Dudfield, IOC's Olympism365 associate director. "The Tech365 Incubate grants will be used by recipients to either seed new ideas or expand existing innovations to reach more people and communities."

Tech365 follows a two-stage approach, beginning with Tech365 Explore and continuing with Tech365 Incubate. Tech365 Explore is a think tank of 25 innovators from around the world who exchange ideas designed to benefit people.

All were invited to apply for a flexible grant through Tech365 Incubate, and recipients were chosen in a vote at the Olympism365 Summit: Sport for a Better World in June 2025 by Summit attendees, IOC Young Leaders and members of the Tech365 Explore cohort, the IOC explained. ■