Polytech keen to be part of sport centre vision

Otago Polytechnic wants to join Dunedin businessman Ian Taylor in his quest to harness the technological, intellectual and practical skills of local businesses and educational institutions and create a world-class sports analysis centre based at the Forsyth Barr Stadium.

"The potential is fantastic. We would be foolish not to support such ambition," marketing, communications and customer relations general manager Mike Waddell said last week.

Mr Taylor, managing director of Animation Research Ltd, which supplies sports graphics all over the world, told the polytechnic council last week he hoped the polytechnic would become one of the collaborative partners in his vision to make Dunedin the top sports-analysis centre in the world.

He said his company was prepared to bankroll most of the money needed to make the vision happen.

But because an application for economic development funds required him to find partners who also contributed to the project, he was seeking two or more groups to put in about $15,000 each and was approaching organisations including the University of Otago, the Institute of Sport and the polytechnic.

The sports analysis centre might result in referees from around the world coming to Dunedin for training in the use of video refereeing technology, others coming here for training in the use of sports graphics hardware, and an expansion of Dunedin's existing computer graphics industry, he said.

Sportsmen and women might also visit the stadium to use sports simulators such as virtual golf courses and car races.