Whether it is a race track, an NBA Arena or a soccer stadium the gap between peak and off-peak operational needs means sport infrastructures face a fundamental commercial challenge.

Smoothing the demand spikes caused by large events interspersed with long lulls helps solve problems with financing, tech, transportation, planning, staffing, scaling quickly, supplies, and almost every area of the business. What is interesting is how different the solutions that motorsports and ball sports facilities are developing and what they can learn from each other.

Motorsports venues are increasingly transforming into more than just race tracks. While tracks are still best known for the high-profile motorsport events, they are also becoming centres for cutting-edge automotive R&D and manufacturing. Tenants like F1 teams, supercar OEMs, and tech innovators in EV batteries, control systems, additive manufacturing and alternative fuels are setting up operations in these locations. This creates a year-round ecosystem that capitalises on motorsport’s rapid development cycle, turning these venues into proving grounds for advanced technologies with applications in mainstream manufacturing.

The crossover between motorsports and HVE is a sweet spot.  Companies such as McLaren Applied Technologies, Williams Advanced Engineering, Prodrive, and Ricardo are at the forefront of this shift, using motorsport-derived innovations—like active aerodynamics and energy-efficient electric drivetrains—in the broader automotive and aerodynamics sectors. We interviewed 40 of these tenants for a recent project and the location’s most attractive features included.

• Strong branding and promotion
• Robust physical infrastructure ( Supply chain, transportation and test track)
• Shared infrastructure- CFD clusters, CNCs, SLAs, simulators, Autoclaves etc.
• Short-term attraction  incentives (Rates Holidays, Enhanced Capital Allowances etc)

These were complemented by the sense of industrial community and more human considerations including the availability of schools, retail and broader quality of life

Turning motorsport venues into centres of innovation, with halo tenants adds credibility, creates high-value jobs in rural communities and attracts further inward investment. The transformation of racetracks into HVE hubs enhances both their commercial viability and technological relevance, creating thriving year-round destinations.

Ball sports infrastructures, typically located in urban areas, face unique challenges compared to motorsports venues and their solutions are of course different. For football and basketball stadiums, the trend has shifted towards integrating these venues into larger mixed-use developments and entertainment zones. These developments are designed not only to accommodate matchday events but also to regenerate entire communities, boosting local economies and transforming stadium surroundings into vibrant, year-round destinations.

The Allianz Arena in Munich is a prime example of a multipurpose hub. On non-match days, the stadium’s conference rooms are repurposed as business lounges, while office spaces host corporate events on matchdays. Leisure facilities keep the area active and engaging, attracting residents, businesses, and tourists alike. This multi-functional approach ensures that the stadium and its surrounding area remain economically viable and socially vibrant throughout the year.

The live, work, play repeat model is best developed in the US. For example, SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles is not only a state-of-the-art sports complex that includes millions of square feet of office spaces, apartments, and leisure amenities like shops, restaurants, and even a 6,000-seat theatre. Similarly, the Titletown development around the Green Bay Packers’ Lambeau Field has become a year-round destination, with apartments, townhouses, and attractions that draw visitors beyond football season.

As owners look to maximise revenue, these developments are becoming more than just financial plays. They are community-driven projects that contribute to the revitalisation of entire neighbourhoods.

What Ball Sports and Motorsports Venues Can Learn from Each Other

Motorsports Learning from Ball Sports:

1. Community Integration: Ball sports stadiums, especially in urban areas, are becoming community hubs year-round. Motorsports venues can learn to integrate more community-focused elements, like fairs, retail, dining, and leisure amenities, making them year-round destinations, not just race-day sites.
2. Mixed-Use Development: Football stadiums like Allianz Arena leverage surrounding real estate for commercial offices, residential areas, and hospitality. Motorsports venues have started to explore these avenues but have room to improve especially in residential to maximise land use, increase foot traffic, and diversify revenue streams.
3. Event Diversification: Ball sports venues host a variety of non-sports events, from concerts to conferences. Motorsports tracks are following suit, using their space for mass participation events like cycling, run the track events, tech conferences, car shows, or corporate training centres during off-peak periods.

Ball Sports Learning from Motorsports:

1. Technology and Innovation Hubs: Motorsports venues have successfully attracted high-value engineering companies by positioning themselves as innovation centres. The exploding wearables and sports tech space should be catered for similarly. Ball sports venues could explore attracting tech companies, start-ups, or R&D centres, using sports science, fitness technology, or event management innovations to diversify.
2. Shared Infrastructure: Motorsport venues thrive by offering shared high-tech infrastructure like simulators and wind tunnels to their tenants. Ball sports stadiums could develop shared spaces for fitness research, data analytics, and performance testing that attract a broader range of tenants in the health and technology sectors.

By adopting elements from each other, both motorsports and ball sports venues can create sustainable, vibrant, year-round destinations that contribute to both local economies and their industry ecosystems.