The project, led by the Kraków University of Technology in Poland's south, aims to leverage state-of-the-art testing infrastructure to advance research in wind engineering and environmental aerodynamics.
Earlier this week, the university teamed up with the Polish Ski Association (PZN) to enhance the performance of Polish winter sports athletes.
'Technological arms race in winter sports'
Adam Małysz, head of the PZN and one of the most successful ski jumpers in the history of the sport, highlighted the crucial role of scientific support in achieving sporting excellence.
"We have observed a technological arms race in winter sports for many years," he said. "In countries like Germany and Austria, not only coaching staff and athletes but entire research institutes supported by state budgets work towards success."
Małysz added: "In Poland, we are just creating such a system and convincing others of its importance. Last year, we established the Innovation Center within PZN to build a network of cooperation with universities, the Ministry of Sport, and the Institute of Sport."
The Environmental Aerodynamics Laboratory at the Kraków University of Technology, with its advanced research tools, will serve as the base for this collaboration.
To begin with, the project aims to analyze ski jump take-off technique and the aerodynamic resistance of athletes' positions.
Scientists from the Kraków University of Technology will develop measurement methodologies and design experimental research stations to simulate real-world conditions in order to perform calibration, and automate training processes.
'We will learn more about the behavior of skis in the air'
The results will enable coaches and athletes to refine technical skills in great detail, and introduce innovations to training and equipment.
Małysz expressed hope that the collaboration would initially help Polish ski jumpers stabilize their approach position through the use of special platforms to adjust inclination angles.
"We will learn more about the behavior of skis in the air and on the ground, analyze the ski jump run-up and the athletes' take-off angles," he said.
"We are also looking at snowboarding, alpine skiing and cross-country skiing," Małysz added. "Aerodynamic tunnel work can be very demanding, so some studies will use mannequins."
'We hope to contribute to their medal-winning success'
Tomasz Kapecki, rector of the Kraków University of Technology, said: "We are delighted to support Polish athletes with the knowledge and competencies of the Wind Engineering Laboratory's research team and the immense potential of the new Environmental Aerodynamics Laboratory."
He added: "We hope to contribute to their medal-winning success."
Polish ski jumpers have been underperforming this season, earning only one World Cup podium spot.
This weekend, they will be looking to add to their medal tally during the Raw Air event in Norway.
Polish ski jumpers finished fourth last World Cup season as a team, behind Austria, Norway and Slovenia.
Meanwhile, Poland's Dawid Kubacki finished fourth in the overall World Cup standings on an individual basis last year.
(rt/gs)
Source: PAP