Novartis has been selected as an official partner of the 2029 Special Olympics World Winter Games, which bring together athletes with cognitive disabilities to compete in elite winter sports such as skiing, figure skating and snowboarding.
Spotlight on inclusivity
The Games, due to take place across Graubünden and Zurich in Switzerland, aim to promote neuro-inclusion through sport while providing a global platform for athletes to showcase their abilities. Around 2,500 athletes from more than 100 countries are expected to attend, alongside coaches, volunteers, caregivers and families.
The Special Olympics movement supports more than five million athletes worldwide through year-round training and competition programmes, positioning the World Winter Games as both a sporting event and a vehicle for social inclusion.
Multi-year partnership
Novartis will support the Games and related initiatives from 2026 through to 2029. Activities will include employee volunteering as well as internal programmes designed to improve understanding of disability inclusion across its workforce.
“This partnership is about putting our values into practice over the long term,” said Rob Kowalski, Chief People & Organization Officer, Novartis. “In the years ahead, we will continue listening, learning and taking meaningful action across Novartis to raise awareness and build understanding so people in the disability community can feel respected and valued for who they are, in Switzerland and around the world.”
Headquartered in Basel, Novartis is supporting an event hosted on home turf, reinforcing an additional focus on supporting local causes.
Extension of R&D efforts
The partnership also aligns with the company’s research and development portfolio, which has a strong emphasis on neuroscience and brain health. Novartis is advancing treatments for neurological conditions including Huntington’s disease, an area of high unmet need globally.
The 2029 Games, scheduled for 10-17 March, will mark the 13th edition of the event. The inaugural Winter Games took place in Colorado, US, in 1977, when around 500 athletes competed – highlighting the significant growth of the event over nearly five decades.
