Publications and Projects
I can’t exactly explain why, but for me writing a book produces a sense of legacy. It is also a great way to learn a lot of new stuff because you have to do your background research and then write it up in a way that makes sense to others! Research papers are a bit more hardcore, justifying your questions, methods and insights to be reviewed and sometimes slaughtered by peers. That is why I also love to write opinion pieces… to get the discussion going. I will also share some of the more exciting projects that I have been involved in.
Books
The Sport Business Future.
This book looks at the impact of powerful technological changes on the business of sport, including human-computer interfaces, gene therapy and superintelligence based upon current trends, research and extrapolation. It will focus upon future trends including the athlete of the future, corporate sport citizenship and green sport. This is an influential contribution to debates about sport, business and society in the future.
International Sport Business
International Sport Business: Current Issues, Future Directions offers a contemporary and forward-looking survey of the global sport industry, introducing the key themes, trends and critical issues that will impact decision-making and strategy in sport business in the coming decade and beyond.
Veritas and the Algorithm of Truth
Veritas and the Algorithm of Truth is my first (autofiction) novel. After years of writing books in my area of academic expertise, I am excited to have put pen to paper and become a story teller, matured, I hope, with age. Ultimately the question I ask and pursue is still academic and philosophical… what is true and what is truth.
Sport Business in the Global Marketplace.
Sport has become big business. This book takes a global look at the business of sport focusing upon the structure of the sport industry, commercialisation of sport, sport marketing, franchising, television and other rights and the rise of the global super athletes and teams. This is positioned in a global political and economic context and in the framework of global uncertainties and scenarios.
Peer reviewed research publications
A lot of academic research is pretty average, and contributes baby steps to advancing the body of knowledge. Sometimes, however, you end up being involved in projects that really have impact and make significant contributions to science, industry, or society at large. I have listed some publications that I feel can or are starting to have such impact, and that I am very excited about to have been involved in.
Westerbeek, H.M. (2026). Designing for cognitive resilience: a distributed cognition approach to education in the age of generative AI. AI & Society https://doi.org/10.1007/s00146-026-03284-3
Westerbeek, H.M. (2026). How AI is rewiring the human brain: the generational transformation of cognition and knowing. AI & Society. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00146-026-02912-2
Westerbeek, H.M. (2026). How AI is rewiring the human brain: the generational transformation of cognition and knowing. AI & Society. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00146-026-02912-2
Westerbeek, H.M. & Schaik, van T. (2025). Platform power, athlete branding, generative AI, and the future of sport governance – a systematic review. Frontiers in Sports and Active Living – sports management, marketing and economics. https://doi.org/10.3389/fspor.2025.1642180
Eime, R. & Westerbeek, H.M. (2022). The Sport Participation Pathway Model (SPPM): A conceptual model for participation and retention in community sport. International Journal of Sport Policy and Politics. https://doi.org/10.1080/19406940.2022.2034913
Westerbeek, H.M. & Eime, R. (2021). The Physical Activity and Sport Participation framework: a policy model toward being physically active across the lifespan. Frontiers in Sports and Active Living – sports management, marketing and business. https://doi.org/10.3389/fspor.2021.608593
Robertson, J., Eime, R., & Westerbeek, H.M. (2018). Community sport clubs: are they only about playing sport, or do they have broader health promotion and social responsibilities? Annals of Leisure Research. https://doi.org/10.1080/11745398.2018.1430598
Smith, A. & Westerbeek, H.M. (2007). Sport as a Vehicle for Deploying Corporate Social Responsibility. Journal of Corporate Citizenship. 7(25), 43-54. https://www.jstor.org/stable/jcorpciti.25.43
Westerbeek, H.M., Turner, P. & Ingerson, L. (2002). Key success factors in bidding for hallmark sporting events. International Marketing Review, 19(3), 303-322. https://doi.org/10.1108/02651330210430712
Opinion and popular science
The more you engage in the subject matter of your passion, the more opinionated you will become. I try to balance my opinion with a foundation of evidence and trend extrapolation but sometimes passion does take over. I always look forward to engaging with my reader audience and debating the many sides of the argument. I have listed a few conversation starters below.
Westerbeek, H. (2026). What a gold medal winning Olympic rowing coach taught me about AI and intuition. At https://www.hanswesterbeek.com/news/what-a-gold-medal-winning-olympic-rowing-coach-taught-me-about-ai-and-intuition
Westerbeek, H. (2026). Scarcity can be bought: what LIV Golf tells private capital about investing in sport. At https://www.hanswesterbeek.com/news/scarcity-cant-be-bought-what-liv-golf-tells-private-capital-about-investing-in-sport
Westerbeek, H. (2025). Are boycotts effective as a response to sportswashing? in: Bradsher, B. (2025). Sportswashing. CQ Researcher. CQ Press https://doi.org/10.4135/cqresrre20251003
Westerbeek, H. (2026). The enhanced games, big pharmaceutical and protecting sport. At https://www.hanswesterbeek.com/news/the-enhanced-games-big-pharmaceutical-and-protecting-sport
Westerbeek, H. (2026). AI is rewiring the brains of younger generations… what is at stake? At https://www.hanswesterbeek.com/news/ai-is-rewiring-the-brains-of-younger-generations-what-is-at-stake
Westerbeek, H. (2025). Athletes are no longer just players: how digital platforms and AI are shifting power away from sport organisations. At https://www.hanswesterbeek.com/news/athletes-are-no-longer-just-players-how-digital-platforms-and-ai-are-shifting-power-away-from-sport-organisations
Westerbeek, H. (2025). The capital-credibility paradox: why sport’s next big test is about trust not cash. At https://www.hanswesterbeek.com/news/the-capitalcredibility-paradox-why-sports-next-big-test-is-about-trust-not-cash
Research
Consulting
Projects
With Real Madrid legend and VP Emilio Butragueño in 2019 - partnership signing
I have always described myself as a ‘Pracademic’ - a scientist at heart, letting evidence lead the way, but with a strong desire to apply evidence and insights to help improve organisational practice. To that end i have been fortunate enough to work with a range of wonderful organisations - in and outside of sport. To provide a flavour of some of this work I have shared a few of these projects below.
A lot of the most recent work is taking place in our team at PASI, where we use our ‘big data’ and spatial mapping software to investigate physical activity and sport participation in communities around Australia. Other projects include:
‘Cost to play community level sport in Australia’. Participation in community club-based sport delivers significant physical, social, and psychological health benefits, yet the cost to play is consistently identified as one of the most common barriers to participation across all age groups. Existing data have largely been limited to registration fees paid to sport organisations, leaving the true financial burden on individuals and families poorly understood. This study investigated the comprehensive costs associated with community sport participation across Australia. Specific costs included: registration fees, court hire, uniform, equipment, coaching, tournaments/competitions.
‘Rewiring the human brain: the generational transformation of cognition and knowing’. This project examines how artificial intelligence (AI) is transforming not only what humans know but how knowledge itself is constructed, remembered and valued. It argues that AI has evolved from a tool of efficiency into an epistemic infrastructure, a system that reframes cognition, morality and identity across generations.
‘Sporting excellence through partnership and development’. In this project with colleagues Dr Camilla Brockett and Mr Michael Linley, we are developing local expertise and capacity to organise and run sporting competitions and events in the State of Kerala. This project is conducted on behalf of the State Government of Kerala, India.
Change our Game - women and girls’ participation in male dominated sports, with PASI team on behalf of the Office for Women in Sport and Recreation (2021).
‘Evaluation of the Stay and Play campaign’. In this project with colleagues Dr Tim Buszard and Professor Damian Farrow, we conducted a stakeholder evaluation of a tennis participation campaign, on behalf of the International Tennis Federation, ITF, London, UK.
‘Physical literacy – a foundation for sporting excellence in India’. With colleagues Dr Camilla Brockett and Professor Damian Farrow, and on behalf of the Australia India Council, and the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Commonwealth Government of Australia, we developed a framework and program to assist local governments in India for developing basic motor skills in children. We also surveyed Mumbai marathon participants in regard their level of physical literacy.
‘Market trends in female active-wear buyer behaviour’, With colleagues Professor Clare Hanlon and Professor Ramon Spaaij, we conducted consumer profiling and a comprehensive market analysis on the (emerging) trends in the market for female active-wear. We conducted this project on behalf of the Australian Sporting Goods Association.
‘Sport participation and active ageing’, With colleagues Professor Jannique van Uffellen, Dr Claire Jenkin, Professor Rochelle Eime, and Professor Stuart Biddle we investigated how to maximise the opportunities that sport participation offers for older adults to remain active. This project was conducted on behalf of the Australian Sports Commission.
‘SPLISS 2: Sport Policy factors Leading to International Sporting Success’. This project was conducted with the SPLISS consortium (Free University of Brussels, University of Utrecht, Sheffield Hallam University and Victoria University) in collaboration with the Australian Sports Commission. In this project we investigated the impact of various elements of 15 countries’ elite sport systems on their medal winning success.
‘Development and implementation of a strategic re-organisation plan for Al Jazira sport and social club’. In this project, in partnership with Templeton Galt consulting, we worked towards the transformation of a multi-sport club towards a club focused on professional football, aiming to compete in the Asian Champions League. In this two-year project we worked on behalf of the United Arab Emirates President’s Office (Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates).