Jan-Willem van Schaik

BRUSSELS, Belgium - The European Bicycle Manufacturers Association (EBMA) has announced that its President, Moreno Fioravanti has died unexpectedly. At the age of 62, Moreno passed away peacefully on 17 February. He was very well known in the industry and his dead sparked a lot reactions.

HEERENVEEN, the Netherlands - A newly released report is causing a stir at Dutch cargo bike manufacturer Babboe, owned by Accell Group. The existing issue with frames now turns out to be much bigger than publicly known. It has now been alledged that Babboe management knew about it, but did not report it to the Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority (NVWA).

TAIPEI, Taiwan - It was probably the most discussed topic in the bicycle industry last year: the bankruptcy of VanMoof. During Taipei Cycle Show, co-founder Ties Carlier will take the stage at the Bike Venture Summit to give his view on the lessons learned from VanMoof's entrepreneurial rollercoaster. What will the reception be for someone at the helm at the time of the company's demise?

HEERENVEEN, the Netherlands - Babboe will stop selling its cargo bikes until further notice. The Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority has received numerous reports of frame breakage while cycling. When asked, "the bicycle manufacturer couldn't sufficiently demonstrate that certain models do not pose any safety risks."

OSAKA, Japan - The financial consequences of high inventory in the market accelerated in the fourth quarter of last year for bicycle and parts manufacturers. Shimano even reports a year-on-year decline of 24.6% in revenue and a 52.3% drop in net profit. The figures Shimano projected for 2024 don't show a positive picture either.

VALPOLICALLA, Italy - Pon.Bike.Italia is the new name for Pon's subsidiary formerly known in the market as Focus Italia Group. The rebranding is the final stage in the take-over of the Italian distributor by the Dutch industry giant.

MADRID, Spain - Bicycle manufacturing in Spain was well on track last year. Official statistics show a decrease in 2023 compared with 2022. However, at the close of the year, it became immediately evident that 2023 was a very good year for the Spanish bicycle industry.

AMSTERDAM, the Netherlands - The QWIC administrator has reached an agreement with a consortium of investors for a restart. This was announced by Wieringa lawyers last Friday. The new owners of Qwic have not made themselves public, while Qwic founder and CEO Taco Anema told Bike Europe he will no longer be involved in the new operation.

BRUSSELS, Belgium - Brussels based trade association and industry lobby group Cycling Industries Europe (CIE) has announced that Kevin Mayne, the founding Chief Executive of the organisation, is to retire in 2024. Mayne, one of the industry's most visible political figures will step down later in the year after handing over to a successor who will be appointed through a selection process which will start immediately.

HEERENVEEN, the Netherlands - The merger of two factories into one as Accell Group announced last Tuesday, has to result in a more efficient and sustainable production. However, an Accell Group spokesperson confirmed to Bike Europe that an investment plan for this modernisation has not been made yet. "We are currently analysing all options."