News & Events

Supporting sports-specific product developers and business professionals of the future

October 14, 2020 – Portland, OR and Seoul, South Korea –With consumer research conducted and product concept on the drawing board, a five person group of graduate students from University of Oregon’s prestigious Sports Product Management (SPM) program, headed to ISPO Munich 2020 to find just the right materials to bring their new product to life – a back pack designed specifically for run commuting it has named Intencity. 

Attracted by the Hyosung’s ISPO booth and product stories, the students, who’ve called their group Team Intencity, approached the Hyosung team to learn more about its yarns and to determine if they could be the solution to developing its pack.

“Through all of our design ideation and development processes, we came to the realization that we need a fabric that was more than just the standard material a factory would provide us,” said Jacob Bullock, Team Intencity. “We need something that could really withstand what our core consumer – an ultra-runner – goes through. The team at Hyosung were gracious to take the time to meet with us, when we were turned away from some suppliers who did not have the time or understand our project. Hyosung understood our needs and worked with us to find the perfect solution.”

Hyosung suggested its Mipan robic nylon for the face material of the Intencity pack due to its lightweight yet extremely durable nature. According to Roman Park, Hyosung Senior Manager Textile Marketing Team, “Jacob and his Team Intencity colleagues have been extremely knowledgeable and professional from our first meeting at ISPO through every step to final production of the fabric of the pack.”

The Sports Product Management graduate program at the University of Oregon based in Portland, OR began in 2015 and was co-founded by Ellen Schmidt Devlin, a retired NIKE executive, and Roger Best, PhD Electrical Engineering and professor emeritus at the University. As there were no formal undergraduate or graduate level degrees for sport product management, Ellen and Roger saw a need for talent with the knowledge of the product creation process.

“The strength of our program is how we teach design thinking in a business school,” said Krista Martenson, Instructor, Innovation Lab Apparel Manager, University of Oregon Sports Product Management. “Although we teach students design and teach them the whole process of product development and innovation in our lab, they are also learning all the consumer research, marketing and business classes needed to bring a product successfully to market.”

Team Intencity produced a limited manufacture of its commuter packs, which are being tested among its run commuting peers. According to the team, feedback has been very positive. 

“In about 18 to 21 months, these students could very well be our customers,” said Deborah Richert, North America West Marketing Manager, Hyosung Performance Textiles, who is also a NIKE veteran. “We are grateful for this special graduate program that is bringing highly educated and experienced new talent into our industry.”

About University of Oregon Sports Product Management

The University of Oregon partnered with the sports and outdoor product industry’s best to create a master’s of science in sports product management. Our mission is to build worldwide leaders in the sports product industry. We teach the business of product creation. www.spm.uoregon.edu

About Hyosung

Hyosung is a comprehensive fiber manufacturer, which produces world-class products and provides innovation and solutions to the textile industry. Hyosung’s creora® elastane is the world’s largest spandex brand, supplying the broadest range of stretch fiber offerings supported by exceptional technology and quality.  Mipan® nylon and specialty polyester provide functional and sustainable fiber solutions that are essential to today’s dynamic textile market. www.hyosungtnc.com.