US National Football League team, The Minnesota Vikings, in partnership with UK-based greentech firm, Pavegen, has launched a fan experience that merges STEM education with sustainability and entertainment. At the core of this collaboration is Pavegens technology, which converts kinetic energy from footsteps and movement to power immersive fan experiences.

Coinciding with the start of the 2023 gridiron season, fans visiting Vikings’ training camp in Eagan, Minnesota, can participate in two immersive challenges. In the 40-yard Dash, fans can go through the same test every NFL player faces and race against their favourite Vikings player, with Pavegen’s kinetic floor tiles simultaneously capturing and converting their energy into off-grid electricity in real time.

Meanwhile, Famous Game Plays invites fans to guide a virtual footballs flight using kinetic floor interactions and recreate some of the Vikings’ most famous plays. Successful participants are rewarded with exclusive video clips of iconic gameplay sequences.

The games form part of the Vikings’ commitment to STEM education. The installations show how energy is all around us and can be harnessed for a better world. The partnership not only offers a glimpse of what future stadiums could look like, but also encourages fan interaction and engagement, rewarding fan loyalty in a highly visual brand activation.

“STEM education is a critical portion of the Minnesota Vikings’ mission to utilize our platform for impact to give back to our community,” said Brett Taber, Vice President of Social Impact for the Minnesota Vikings. “Here in Minnesota alone, students have one of the highest opportunity gaps in the United States. So by partnering with Pavegen, the Minnesota Vikings can help students understand STEM principles and bring them to life in the real world. Pavegen is a unique technology because it really demonstrates how energy is all around us, and its about how we harness it and use it for a better world.” 

Pavegens partnership with the Minnesota Vikings comes as the London-based company begins a fundraising drive via CrowdCube this month. The new investment will help accelerate Pavegens market expansion and allow it to develop future products. Pavegens partnership with the Vikings acts as a proof-of-concept for its technologys broad-scale application in stadiums, transport hubs, office buildings or other high traffic areas.