EQuerry Co’s Founder Speaking About the Scale of the Horse Industry at Inaugural HorseTech Summit Sweden 2026

EQuerry Founder Christine Bjerkan was honoured to join an international line-up of innovators, entrepreneurs, and industry leaders as a speaker at the inaugural HorseTech Summit Sweden, held May 6th 2026, at SLU Alnarp.

The summit brought together experts from across the equestrian, technology, business, and investment sectors to explore how innovation is shaping the future of the horse industry. As part of the conference programme, Christine delivered a keynote presentation examining one of the industry's most persistent challenges: Why equestrian sport remains significantly undervalued despite its enormous economic and cultural impact.

Drawing on EQuerry's research and industry analysis, the presentation challenged the long-held perception of equestrian sport as a niche market. Instead, it highlighted the industry's unique position as a global ecosystem that spans sport, luxury, agriculture, lifestyle, tourism, and technology, contributing more than €100 billion annually to the European economy alone. Central to the presentation was the argument that equestrian sport does not suffer from a lack of value, but rather a failure to effectively communicate and quantify that value.

"Equestrian isn't niche – it simply behaves like it is," Christine explained. "For decades, the industry has relied on prestige and tradition to tell its story, while other sports have learned to translate their audiences, reach, and influence into measurable commercial assets."

The session explored how the modern media economy rewards data, audience intelligence, and measurable return on investment, areas where equestrian sport has historically lagged despite possessing highly engaged and commercially valuable audiences. Research highlighted during the presentation demonstrated that equestrian consumers exhibit exceptional levels of brand loyalty, spending power, and lifestyle participation, making them one of the most attractive audiences in sport.

The keynote also examined the opportunities created by improved audience measurement, digital visibility, and data-driven decision making. By better understanding and communicating audience behaviour, equestrian organisations can unlock greater investment, create smarter sponsorship opportunities, and increase the visibility of the industry on a global stage.

A key message from the presentation was that equestrian sport should be viewed not simply as a collection of competitions, but as a scalable media platform with access to both consumer and business audiences.

The invitation to speak at HorseTech Summit Sweden reflects EQuerry's growing reputation as a leading voice on equestrian industry trends, commercial development, governance, and marketing innovation. Through its research and analysis, EQuerry continues to challenge conventional thinking and provide evidence-based insights into the future of the horse industry.

As the industry continues to evolve, one message resonated throughout the summit: The horse world has always known its worth. The next challenge is ensuring the rest of the world recognises it too.