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Innovation, Entrepreneurship and SMEs Expert Group
CIE’s newest Expert Group will have several roles.
- It is a support structure and network for the smaller companies in our sector and new market entrants.
- It is a showcase for the exciting group of innovators and entrepreneurs in companies of all sizes who are finding new ways to grow cycling.
- It is a platform to bring cycling companies to the attention of EU policy makers and support programmes such as EU’s Executive Agency for Small and Medium Enterprises (EASME) and the Enterprise Europe Network
Therefore, we are delighted to say that the group will start work in September and October 2020, with an invitation for all CIE members to join and of course a warm welcome to new companies looking to join Europe’s cycling innovation community.
The role of small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs), innovators and entrepreneurs is vital to the health of any business sector because it shows that the sector has a diverse eco-system with great potential for growth. But start-ups and small companies are just part of the story, because a thriving innovation culture has a big beneficial impact on larger companies as a source of inspiration, suppliers, customers and partners. We also have access to an exciting a range of potential partners in sectors such as academic research and venture capital, looking for opportunities to partner with cycling companies.
We believe SMEs and innovators should be part of cycling’s thriving business sector in their own right, but collectively they should also benefit from business support funds available from the EU and better access to private investors. The EU is strengthening the new Enterprise Europe Network to help businesses innovate and grow on an international scale. It is the world’s largest support network for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). From 2021 a lot of new innovation funding will also be released into Horizon Europe, the world’s biggest open research programme.
As well as this expert group we are delighted that CIE members from the SME sector provide a huge amount to our association, visible in all activities and working in all our Expert Groups and our EU co-funded projects for the cargo bike and connected bike sectors. In our membership we are also proud to have organisations like E-Novia in Italy and the Mountain Bike Centre for Scotland which provide innovation support to companies.
OBJECTIVES
- Support our network of cycling sector SMEs, start-ups and entrepreneurs and link them to partners such as clusters, investors and research centres
- Promote a culture of collaborative innovation across our industries
- Advocate on behalf of our members to Improve access to innovation, research and start-up funding
- Showcase the growth potential for cycling’s innovations, new technologies and services
- Build relationships with supporting public bodies, associations and institutions that bring added value to our community
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Innovation and SMEs Expert Group Success Stories
Conneqtech, active since 2015, connects mobility to the Internet of Things via innovative solutions, and offers convenience, security, efficiency and safety to their customers. In partnership with AXA Bike Security, who have worked on bicycle and cyclist protection for over 115 years, Conneqtech established AXA IN in 2017. AXA IN makes every bike intelligent, safe and secure. As a result, bike owners and users can gain insight in the use of their bike anytime and anywhere, and retrieve their bike back when stolen.
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e-Novia is the Enterprises Factory that transforms research into products, researchers into entrepreneurs and start-ups into global enterprises. The Factory was born in Milan, in 2015, and has shaped an ecosystem that combines the excellence of the manufacturing industry with the best European scientific competencies in the field of electronics, robotics, mechanics, and vehicular mobility, among others. e-Novia merges digital powers with the physical nature of hardware and equips prototypes with a solid service platform that enables the development and growth of the new enterprise.
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Nüwiel, manufacturer an electric assisted operated cargo trailer for last mile logistics was announced as the winner of the Smart Pedal Pitch during Velo-city 2019, the global conference for cycling. Nüwiel and the runners-up in the competition will pilot their solutions with Dublin City Council’s Smart City and Transport teams over the coming months. For Nüwiel this is a further opportunity to build on existing relationships with leading brands such as IKEA and UPS. However the competition itself was also judged as a winner for cycling by the partners promoting the competition. Smart Pedal Pitch was hosted by Dublin City Council in conjunction with Cycling Industries Europe, the Bicycle ITS Project and European Cyclists’ Federation.
BITS aims to effectively stimulate cycling by making it safer, more comfortable and more attractive by the use of Intelligent Transport Systems (ITS). Therefore, it is crucial to have a good overview of the current ITS offer for cycling. To get this overview, BITS partners teamed up and conducted extensive research on available ITS products that might be useful for the BITS project. This research resulted in the so-called State of the Art. It contains almost 100 ITS solutions for cycling, varying from infrastructure-based systems and data collection to information provision to and interaction with cyclists.
JOINING THE GROUP
This group is a membership-led initiative which works together with the support of the CIE Secretariat. Membership is open to all Cycling Industries Europe members. It is not limited to small companies and start-ups, companies of all sizes can benefit from the work of the group, in particular as a showcase for innovation and research in cycling.
WHY JOIN THE INNOVATION, ENTREPRENEURSHIP AND SMES EXPERT GROUP?
Together we are stronger!
This is the first international network of this type in cycling, a unique opportunity that spreads right across the most important cycling market in the world.
Joining other companies in a support network and using this platform to strengthen the awareness of the EU, funders, investors and other companies about the strength and the needs of innovation and entrepreneurship in cycling benefits the whole sector.