Volume 25, nr. 7/2021
ON TOP LEVEL WITH BIKE EUROPE
WWW.BIKE-EU.COM/SUBSCRIBE
Portugal industry update ABIMOTA TAKES UP LEADING ROLE TO RE-SHORE PRODUCTION
P. 10-13
Shipments to Europe hike to meet demand TAIWAN EXPORT STATISTICS
P. 8
A NEW ERA FOR CFOSE
P. 14
E-BIKE AND BICYCLES IMPORT STATISTICS
P. 9
Sustainable mobility makes e-bike industry a hot investment ZEIST, the Netherlands – News reports of investors stepping into the e-bike industry started to make headlines more frequently. The pandemic gave a push to the influx of capital in the industry. This development is only accelerating thanks to the topic of sustainable mobility.
T
he collection of a 7-digit euro amount by Avocargo, the Berlin-based provider of free-floating sharing of e-cargo bikes, was one of the investment reports that didn’t make headlines. However, it is significant that a company founded less than a year ago has already 110 e-cargo bikes on the road in Germany’s capital. At the same time, the latest round of funding provides them with the resources for the internationalisation of their business. One
Online magazine: Cargo bikes the next market disruptor
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he UN Climate Change Conference in Glasgow will give an unexpected push to cargo bikes. The cargo bike industry is ready to step up for more as it is seen as the next market disruptor. Bike Europe’s online magazine highlights the latest development in an interview with Urban Arrow founder, Jorrit Kreek, on the future of transport bikes, and puts the spotlight on market development in Germany, France and the UK. For free access to the online magazine, go to www.bike-eu.com/online-magazine.
more detail: according to Avocargo, more than 100 e-cargo bike rental systems are already on the market in Germany. Considering the potential of this category in combination with plans to go international of many of these rental systems, shows that this development is not over yet. Looking at the number of investors stepping into the cycling business, Avocargo is certainly not the last one to come. For many years it was mainly the automotive industry that was ex-
pected to participate in the bicycle industry. They partly did so with components manufacturers like Bosch, Brose, ZF and Valeo. More recently, Pon Holding took over Dorel Sports, Pierer Mobility acquired Felt Bike, and Porsche bought Slovenian Greyp increasing their market position in the e-bike industry. For all these investors, e-bikes and regular bicycles will, in particular, become an essential part of mobility. This situation is moving forward very quickk ly, driven by socio economic developments. The COP26 conference in Glasgow was perhaps not as successful as expected, with some industry insiders disappointed that only the phrase ‘active mobility’ was included in the final declaration. They had expected for a more prominent
RTE factory in Poland expects to begin production in January 2022 MACHNACZ, Poland - The construction of the production facility of the Portuguese assembler, RTE in Poland, is nearing completion. To date, €20 million has been invested in the construction of the factory, the company reports. Located west of Warsaw, in Machnacz, the factory is designed for an annual capacity of 500,000 units, RTE’s CEO, Jorge Salgado, told Bike Europe. In a second phase, this capacity is to be doubled to 1 million units per year, with the help of a further investment of €8-10 million. Looking at the markets today, I can imagine that we will move directly to phase two,” said Salgado. According to RTE, all bicycles built in Machnacz
will be delivered to the Decathlon Polska chain of stores. In future, production will cover virtually the entire range of private label bicycles. The factory in Poland is part of RTE’s investment programme which also includes a new e-bike facility in Serzedo, Portugal. This facility was opened last summer. RTE’s rapid development is just one of the stories out of Portugal. The industry’s ambitions are supported by its national organisation, AMBIMOTA, and the Portugal Bike Value project. In this edition of Bike Europe, we start with a series of reports and interviews giving an update on the country’s industry. See page 10 to 13.
position of the bicycle at the conference. Nevertheless, the relevance of the phrase ‘active mobility’ on a policy level can’t be underestimated – look at the recognition of cycling as an energy-efficient mode of transport in new European Commission guidelines. “Investors eye the bicycle industry,” said Ralph Kindermann in August in this trade journal. He is noticing a growing interest from investors in bicycles. For both private equity and venture capital, the industry provides ample opportunities now that the number of product and service providers continues to increase, riding the waves of sustainable mobility. They are all looking for easily accessible funding to reach their goals and establish a strong market position.
Miranda CEO João Miranda elected CONEBI vice president
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he position of vice president of CONEBI, the Confederation of the European Bicycle Industry, has been assumed by a well-known name in the industry – João Miranda. With him, the Portuguese industry will once ensure a strong voice in the European organisation. In addition to being vice president at CONEBI, Miranda is also president of Portugal’s national organisation, ABIMOTA. Miranda is one of the driving forces behind the expansion of the country’s bicycle industry.
