The Instituto de Biomecánica (IBV) has achieved a new international milestone by being designated a FIFA Research Institute for Football Technology and Innovation, a distinction that reinforces its technological and innovation leadership in the sports sector. This recognition places the IBV Sports Testing Lab among the most influential centres worldwide in applied football research, and consolidates its status as the Spanish centre with the highest number of accreditations from national and international sports federations, as well as from bodies such as ENAC.
This distinction marks a new phase in IBV’s relationship with FIFA, a collaboration that began more than two decades ago. The centre was a pioneer as the first Spanish laboratory accredited for certifying artificial turf surfaces—both in the laboratory and on the surface—within the FIFA Quality Programme. Since then, IBV has played an active role in the development and validation of technologies that have raised the standards of safety, quality and performance in football.
A pioneering global project led from Spain
As part of this designation, IBV is leading a worldwide project focused on studying the interaction between football footwear and different playing surfaces. This research aims to generate key scientific knowledge to enhance player performance and protect their health—an area of strategic importance that until now lacked dedicated FIFA-recognised standards.
“Football boots play a decisive role in how players interact with the field and with the ball, yet no official criteria had previously been established to assess their quality and safety,” explains Juan Carlos González, Director of Sports Innovation at IBV. “Our aim is to lay the foundations for a future quality programme that benefits the entire sports industry.”
To develop this project, IBV is collaborating with the European University of Valencia, particularly in the biomechanical assessment of athletes and in analysing the interactions between footwear, the body and playing surfaces.
The value of the IBV Sports Testing Lab in this designation
The IBV Sports Testing Lab is equipped with advanced technology and certified methodologies to analyse, with maximum precision, the behaviour of sports surfaces, materials, equipment and human performance in sport. Its capabilities include impact testing, traction, cushioning, friction analysis, motion analysis and comprehensive biomechanical studies using sensors, force platforms and related systems.
These capabilities allow IBV to successfully undertake global projects such as the one driven by FIFA, delivering objective, replicable and internationally comparable data. For any sports organisation, manufacturer or institution seeking to validate products or develop new technologies, this milestone represents a guarantee of quality and an unquestionable scientific endorsement.
International collaboration and global impact
Recognition as a FIFA Research Institute positions IBV as a direct interlocutor with the International Federation alongside other leading global centres. This collaborative ecosystem works to advance key areas such as material sustainability, the democratisation of technology in football, the standardisation of surfaces, and the improvement of sports equipment performance. IBV’s extensive experience in standardisation, certification, and research in human factors and biomechanics provides a unique perspective in the development of new standards that will shape the future of the world’s most influential sport.
With this designation, IBV is established as a strategic partner for footwear manufacturers, sports brands, football organisations and research centres seeking to test, validate or develop products with guaranteed international recognition.