OM launches the OM Data Lab
There is no doubt that the world of tomorrow will embrace the concept of “Big Data.” To take an active part in this transformation, and to become one of the most successful European clubs using technology in sporting and business performance, Olympique de Marseille is launching its very own “OM Data Lab.”
The concept is to run an open and agile innovation laboratory to fully harness the potential of data, bringing together technical, sporting and medical expertise.
The main mission of the OM Data Lab - in line with the club’s pillars - is simple: to optimize OM’s decision-making process using data, and design predictive models to anticipate future events using Artificial Intelligence or Machine Learning. "This affects many areas: the athlete, of course, because we believe deeply in improving sporting performances through the optimization of data processing, but also by improving the fan experience with, for example, better access to the stadium and queue management, ”said Chairman of the Management Board Jacques-Henri Eyraud, .
In the longer term, the OM Data Lab should also help accelerate the digital transformation of the club, as well as support the development of the football industry as a whole.
Such a project must be collaborative: “OM will bring together all of its initiatives through Data. Our existing partners and agencies we already work with, but also external experts, start-ups, students and researchers to join us,” said Director of Technology and Innovation, Frédéric Cozic.
The Club intends to use external competences and experiences, and create a new ecosystem based on co-creation: “This initiative will then become more agile and will not have an end date, it will continue to evolve as we learn. We want to work alongside OM's international partners but also with local companies and talents. Every line of business at OM will benefit from this," Cozic said.
An open lab for everyone. The OM Data Lab’s governance will be organized in a cooperative way. The Lab’s committee, initially chaired by an employee of the club, will bring together OM employees, researchers and university professors, data-science specialists, sports consultants, and medical experts.
OM is determined to be transparent in that project: “As soon as a learning, a study, or a discovery can be made public, we will look to share with everyone, whether it is a press release, a thesis, a MOOC session (massive open online course), a conference, etc.”
This approach will allow universal participation as well as the global use of OM findings. The technological partners of the club, such as Amazon Web Services, Orange Business Services, ReachFive, and Mangrove, will be involved in that new initiative, and so will OM’s real estate, including the Orange Vélodrome, the Robert Louis-Dreyfus Training Center, the OM Campus and OM's official stores.
French Tech startups, for example in Aix en Provence, will also take part in this new ecosystem of knowledge and skills, that will foster experimentation and innovation.
As Olympique de Marseille started building and fine-tuning its data strategy dating back to January 2019, a new chapter is now being written.
All data and information are aggregated, structured and analyzed in a single Cloud platform, integrating a Data Lake (a global storage space), built in collaboration with Amazon Web Services, the world leader in Cloud and applied Artificial Intelligence.
“100% of these activities respect the GDPR rules (General Data Protection Regulation). Our partners and law firms will ensure that no risk is taken with the data of our supporters: everything will be anonymous. It is important to respect everyone's privacy”, said Data Manager and OM Data Lab Ambassador, Samir Dilmi.
The first studies - in French and English - from the OM Data Lab will be made public in the coming weeks.
A White Paper detailing the objectives, structure and missions of the OM Data Lab is available by clicking on the following link.
