UMass Lowell launches center to advance equipment design, athlete performance

The University of Massachusetts Lowell has launched its Center for Sports Engineering and Performance, a research facility that plans to bring together sporting goods manufacturers, sports leagues and interdisciplinary researchers to enhance equipment design and athlete performance.

UMass Lowell said the center, which officially opened April 15, will draw on the university’s expertise in engineering, biomechanics and human performance to test how sporting equipment performs and holds up over time to provide data to guide product development, industry standards and athletic training programs.

“UMass Lowell has built a strong reputation for applying research to real-world challenges, and this center is a natural extension of that work,” Anne Maglia, vice chancellor for research, innovation and economic development at UMass Lowell, said in a news release last week. “By connecting our faculty expertise with industry and sports partners, we are creating new opportunities to advance sports technology, support innovation and make a meaningful impact on how athletes perform.”

The new Center for Sports Engineering and Performance builds on the research of UMass Lowell’s Baseball Research Center, which was established in 1999 to advance the scientific understanding and state of the art of sports equipment. It operates as an independent testing lab in collaboration with the MLB to support the league’s research and equipment evaluation needs.

“We value the independent engineering research UMass Lowell’s Baseball Research Center has provided us for equipment important to our game,” MLB Senior Director of Medical and Equipment Kevin Ma said. “The new Center for Sports Engineering and Performance creates additional opportunities to further that work.”

According to Patrick Drane, director of the Center for Sports Engineering and Performance, the new facility will expand research collaborations across additional sports and disciplines.

“The Baseball Research Center has shown how rigorous testing and close collaboration with leagues can directly influence equipment standards and performance,” Drane said. “With the launch of the Center for Sports Engineering and Performance, we’re expanding that approach across more sports, integrating more disciplines and applying the same level of analysis and industry engagement to drive innovation.”