BERLIN, Germany - Germany as a manufacturing base might not be the most logical choice for the bicycle industry when looking at the rising cost of labour. The strategic location in central Europe and the long heritage of production and engineering has always given the country a strong position in the industry. A group of industry leaders spoke out whether Germany is losing its appeal as a business location for bicycle companies or 'Made in Germany' is a concept for the future.

MASER, Italy - Sidi Sport S.r.l., was sold by founder Dino Signori to the Milan-based investment holding company, Italmobiliare S.p.A. in 2022. Soon after the takeover of the company specialising in the production of cycling and motorcycling footwear, Davide Rossetti was appointed CEO and that marked the start of a complete overhaul of the company. What is the current status of this iconic brand?

HUTTWIL, Switzerland - As predicted, Flyer production is being relocated to ZEG's Kettler factory in Germany. Only a skeleton team for Swiss dealer support will remain at the Swiss site in Huttwil. They will remain alongside sister company Biketec GmbH with its connectivity solution FIT which has not been affected by the exodus, but only after intense negotiations.

WARSAW, Poland - In 2025 a series of significant industry trends will mark the future development of the bicycle and e-bike industry. One of these trends is the ongoing reshoring of production and improving market flexibility by manufacturing in Europe instead of Asia.

BRUSSELS, Belgium - The European Parliament's Transport Committee and EU ambassadors adopted the European Declaration on Cycling during a meeting on 14 February. The declaration is a list of commitments originally proposed by the European Commission in October 2023, including the increase of European production of a wide range of bicycles, including e-bikes and bicycles for people with disabilities.

After the supply chain disruptions of 2020 caused tremendous manufacturing upheaval, many European businesses started to ponder the idea of moving production closer to home to meet consumer demands. In fact, with sustainability now at the centre of most business decisions, using more local production facilities has proven an obvious solution; both in terms of offering more security and reducing carbon emissions.