Who is Lucas? #

Lucas holds an academic background in Business Administration and Information Systems Management (B.Sc., M.Sc., University of Mannheim; M.Sc., Copenhagen Business School). He completed his PhD at Copenhagen Business School in 2024, where his research focused on the digital innovation of physical activities, with a particular emphasis on sports digitalization (Göbeler, 2024).

Lucas is currently a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Hamburg, Chair of Information Systems and Digital Innovation. His research examines the digitalization of traditional sports, the health implications of born-digital sports, and the role of physicality in digital innovation contexts. In addition to his research activities, he teaches master’s-level courses on sports digitalization.

Why the interest in virtual sports? #

A longstanding interest in sports led Lucas to explore sports digitalization during his PhD studies. It quickly became apparent that both our understanding of what constitutes sport, and how sport is practised, are fundamentally changing through the integration of digital technologies and the emergence of born-digital sports. As a result, hybrid forms of sport are increasingly becoming the norm.

These developments in virtual and hybrid sports are reshaping how sports are organized, facilitated, and experienced, and they continue to drive radical innovation in the field. Beyond commercial opportunities and public perception, Lucas beliefs it is crucial to examine the longer-term implications of these changes, including health-related benefits and potential risks, particularly for esports athletes and gamers.