Accell, PON & Shimano among backers for new corporate advocacy group Cycling Industries Europe

The ECF Cycling Industry Club is reforming as Cycling Industries Europe (CIE) next year, a new association for corporate advocacy at the EU level.

Representing the whole of cycling’s commercial sector, CIE will also include the Platform for European Bike Sharing and Systems.

Accell, PON, Shimano, SRAM and Cycleurope will be among the founding members, plus 50 other companies. The founding meeting will take place 11 October, bringing together senior global execs with European colleagues, ECF and senior officials from EU bodies. All companies are welcome to join the meeting to learn more.

The expected formalities of completion will be in 2019. Kevin Mayne who has managed the Cycling Industry Club within ECF since 2012 will become Chief Executive of CIE in 2019 when it separates from ECF completely.

Cycleurope President and CEO Tony Grimaldi has been nominated the first President of CIE after serving as Chair of the Cycling Industry Club.

Grimaldi said: “I am very proud of what we have achieved as corporate supporters of European Cyclists Federation and we expect this to continue. The EU has the fastest growing and most profitable e-bike market in the world. ECF and the industry have created an EU Cycling Strategy that plans for a 50% growth in cycling and ECF has released over 1.5 billion Euro in EU funds for cycling investments which will grow the market further. But we realise that if we bring the whole of our sector together we can do much, much more for cycling and for our industry.”

The published goals of CIE are:
– A dynamic, competitive and sustainable business environment
– An effective lobby for incentives and investments from the EU and governments
– Growth in cycling employment and investment in Europe
– An effective partnership and support for the advocacy of our partners
– Resulting in more cycling, sharing the benefits and enjoyment of cycling for all

CIE will invite members from all business areas in the cycling sector including bicycle and parts makers, bike sharing, financial services, insurance, health, bicycle logistics, construction, tourism and digital services to capture all the lobbying power of cycling companies in a united voice. CIE is establishing working collaborations with ECF and CONEBI to “ensure that the work of the whole cycling lobby at EU level is coordinated and works in a united way to deliver the goals of the EU Cycling Strategy, reflecting the strengths of each association”.