CIE Members’ Day
The members’ day provided members with updates from the various CIE expert groups, which include; Women in Cycling, Market Impact & Intelligence, Bike Share, CSR & Sustainability, Cargo Bikes & Cycle Logistics, ITS & MaaS, Cycling Innovation Network, Supply Chain Project and Mountain Bike Initiative.
Sally Middlemiss, a member of the Women in Cycling Expert Group, introduced the Bicycle Association’s new diversity pledge, survey and company audit in a session that included a presentation from Leury Kerpen (Thun) about why diversity is not only desirable but essential if the industry is to reach an increasingly diverse audience effectively and concluded with an update from Caroline van Renterghem (Fifteen) on the French WIC initiative to showcase cycle industry careers specifically to women.
Alec Seaman, as the Vice Chair of the CSR and Sustainability Expert Group, introduced the various initiatives in progress, including the follow-on from the first industry-wide pledge on packaging and an industry-wide climate pledge (with step-by-step guidelines) to be launched at Eurobike 2023.
The group also received updates on the results from the survey on Ebike Battery and Electrical Components Collection Systems in EU member states, a Survey on Supply Chains focusing on critical raw materials, and an assessment of the recyclability and repairability of each bike component to see if industry-wide action is needed to help enhance circularity.
The CSR expert group is actively forming partnerships and collaborations with other bodies in the industry and was fortunate enough to be joined by Benjamin Barrett, who gave an update on the UCI’s ongoing sustainability work, before the session concluded with an update on the German Sustainability Code (German Sustainability Reporting Standard) from Anke Schäffner of ZIV.
For updates on the other Expert Group areas, please see the CIE report at https://cyclingindustries.com/news/details/members-day-key-takeaways
CIE Summit
Last year’s CIE summit might best be described as confident. There was enthusiastic political support for cycling, combined with a general sense of optimism across the industry following the pandemic that persisted despite concerns about energy and security following Putin’s recent invasion of Ukraine.
This year’s event seemed to start with similar optimism as Frans Timmermans’ (Executive Vice-President of the European Commission) stated, “I am announcing an initiative to boost the bike in Europe. The Commission will propose a European Cycling Declaration and invite the Parliament and Council to join and make this an inter-institutional agreement. We will include principles for supporting cycling, along with access to tools and funds. This will ensure our citizens will not only have the right to cycle on paper, but access to support. European instruments must be used to double cycling in Europe!” which was met with applause.
Yet despite similar messages of political support from senior figures, including MEP Karima Delli and Belgian Deputy Prime Minister and Mobility Minister Georges Gilkinet, the mood in the room seemed more subdued and cautious compared to last year, and topics such as reshoring, increased supply chain control and improved resilience were themes touched upon by almost all speakers as the cycle industry readies itself for significant changes to business as usual.
Of particular interest was Gil Nadais and Sergio Ribeiro (ABIMOTA’s) presentation on cycling industry clusters, drawing on the experience of the Portugal Bike Valley success story that highlighted the possibilities for the cycling industry to get more involved in European innovation and green manufacturing projects.