On 26 May 2026 the Budapest Marriott Hotel will host The Science of Football conference as part of the Corvinus Business and Society Summit 2026. The event is organised by Budapesti Corvinus Egyetem and Portfolio and takes place at the same time Budapest is staging the UEFA Champions League final.
The one-day conference brings together representatives from sport, business and academia to explore how innovation, data-driven thinking and strategic decision-making are transforming the football industry. The programme covers topics from performance analysis and applications of artificial intelligence to fan experience digitisation, evolving business models and executive decision-making.
Themes and questions
Organisers say the event will examine how data and analytics are reshaping the football industry, why football has become a dynamic field for knowledge and innovation, and how methods developed in the sport can be transferred to other business contexts. Key themes include data-driven performance analysis, the role of AI, digitising the fan experience, and organisational and business model innovation in football.
Speakers and participants
The conference features both international and domestic decision-makers as well as corporate representatives. Speakers in the "Focus" session include:
- Sefton Perry (Head, UEFA Intelligence Centre)
- Pikéthy Árpád (Country General Manager, IBM Hungary)
- Ratatics Péter (MOL Csoport, Újpest FC) — Ratatics Péter is the chairman of Újpest FC, executive vice-president for consumer services at MOL Csoport and CEO of MOL Retail Zrt.
- Bogdán Ádám (sport director, Debreceni VSC)
- Bombera Krisztina (CEO, CauseArt Platform)
- Eszterházy Mátyás (founder, EM Sports Consulting)
Organisers provide information on participation and registration; the conference targets those who want to understand not only matchdays but the underlying systems — data, strategy, organisation and business logic that make clubs, leagues and football-related companies competitive.
Why it matters
The event aims to reframe football as an economic, technological and societal force rather than solely a sport. Discussions and case studies presented at the conference are expected to shed light on how data collected in stadiums and by clubs can become sources of competitive advantage and business innovation, and what implications this has for broader economic and social processes.
Cover image credit: Portfolio
Tags: conference, technology, artificial intelligence, innovation, football, science, digitalisation, sport, data analysis, Ratatics Péter
