Bike Europe's Factory Floor series takes readers inside production environments, showing how bicycle manufacturing is evolving through automation, vertical integration, specialist expertise and investment. This online magazine shows there is no single model for modern bicycle manufacturing: companies are combining technology, in-house capabilities and specialised know-how in different ways to improve efficiency, quality, flexibility and resilience.

Battery manufacturer BMZ Battery Solutions has announced it will close its production plant in North Macedonia and consolidate its European manufacturing operations in Poland. The transfer will take place in stages between August and December 2026.

"Establishing production facilities within key markets has become increasingly important due to the growing volatility of global trade," says Tony Karklins, CEO of Cardinal Cycling Group, which also owns Time and Detroit Bike. In a Bike Europe interview, Karklins outlines his vision for carbon product production and explains why the company is now offering OEM manufacturing at its Carboprax factory in Slovakia.

In 2024, a team of investors acquired the insolvent bicycle helmet factory of D-H-G Knauer GmbH Kunststoffverarbeitung. Since relaunching as KED Ahead GmbH, the new owners have made significant strides. It turns out it wasn't enough. The asset that was repeatedly touted as a key selling point - namely, the "Made in Germany" production facility in Freiberg am Neckar is now being phased out.

Chinese drive-system manufacturer Bafang says its products are currently used on more than 20 million e-bikes worldwide. To support that scale, the company has focused on streamlining production and increasing automation at its manufacturing facility in Suzhou, China.

SRAM has announced plans to build a new facility in Coimbra, Portugal, enabling local production of its complete component portfolio—more than 7,500 individual parts—closer to key partners and markets. "The investment will enhance our ability to serve European OEM and AM partners while improving sustainability, flexibility, and supply chain resilience," the company writes in a press statement.