ENGSO at SHARE 2.0 Annual Conference in Brussels
The SHARE 2.0 Annual Conference took place last week, 11 September 2025, in Brussels. The event highlighted the achievements of the Communities of Practice (CoPs) in the fields of innovation, health, and green sport, and presented the latest developments of the SHARE initiative. ENGSO Secretary General Sara Massini and projects manager Niki Koutrou took part in the conference.
The event featured a presentation of the SHARE 2.0 initiative’s achievements by its leaders, a web-streamed master class on artificial intelligence exploring practical applications for sport organisations, thematic CoP sessions on the future of Health, Innovation and Green Sport in view of SHARE 2.0’s continuation, and networking opportunities to strengthen partnerships across the European sport sector
Key takeaways from the event were:
- A Green Sport Manifesto and accompanying policy document were published, marking the outcome of 18 months of collaborative work by the CoPs.
- The SHARE 2.0 initiative has been extended until 2027, with the European Commission confirming budget support to ensure the continuity of CoPs’ work.
- The SHARE community has grown significantly, expanding from 300 to 500 members in just one year.
- Until 2027, the strategy will focus on working collectively to influence European policies, building on the conclusions and documents produced by the CoPs.
During the working groups, ENGSO emphasized the importance of taking grassroots sport into account to ensure lasting progress in the sustainability dimension. In particular, the Secretary General proposed establishing a dedicated working group on ethical sponsorship. This would not only address elite sport and major sporting events, but also support grassroots sport organisations in assessing and properly evaluating the performance and impact of their sponsors. The goal is to avoid giving positive visibility to companies whose activities have harmful effects on the environment or on the social well-being of local communities.
As always, elite sport exists because grassroots sport nurtures and develops talent. For this reason, cultural change must be driven from the top while also engaging the grassroots level throughout the entire process.
ENGSO’s commitment to the SHARE 2.0 project will continue in the coming year to ensure that grassroots sport is represented in all Communities of Practice.