Jan-Willem van Schaik

BRUSSELS, Belgium - An agreement on the Critical Raw Materials Directive was reached by the EU Council recently. The Directive includes important changes to the recycling of permanent magnets and a new element has been added to the list of raw materials considered strategic.

DHAKA, Bangladesh - A slow-down in demand on the European market is mentioned as the main reason for the decrease in bicycle exports from Bangladesh. The outlook for the rest of the year is bleak as well thanks to a political decision to raise import tax on components.

MUNICH, Germany - Together with 500 other visionaries, stakeholders, and decision makers, Riese & Müller CEO Sandra Wolf will be one of the guest-speaker at the IAA-Mobility conference next September. The conference is one of the many events during IAA Mobility hosted for the trade visitors in the mobility industry.

ENNEPETAL, Germany - Well known as a manufacturer of a wide variety of 'Made in Germany' bottom brackets, Alfred Thun GmbH has announced that it will diversify its product range. During its long history, the company already produced cranks and after a stop of more than 30 years, Thun will restart it again.

BOLOGNA, Italy - E-mobility manufacturer FIVE (Fabbrica Italiana Veicoli Elettrici) have obtained a majority share in the San Marino based e-bike, e-scooter and compact e-motorcycle producer Armony Group. The acquisition includes the historic Garelli brand, which will be relaunched as a premium brand.

TAIPEI, Taiwan - The Taipei Cycle show has clearly stepped forward as the stage for the sustainable future of the bicycle industry. The event will showcase four main themes: 'Green Action', 'Micro-mobility', 'Innovation & Startups' and 'Culture & Lifestyle'.

BRUSSELS, Belgium - Just before the start of Eurobike, the European Parliament adopted the negotiated text of the European Batteries Regulation. The final step before the publication of the official legal text in the Official Journal of the EU is the adoption by the European Council. Insiders expect the regulation is going to shake up the European e-bike battery market and the industry is not yet ready in finding an answer to this challenge.

MADRID, Spain - At the start of the cycling season, the Spanish bicycle production increase came as a full surprise. In line with the high inventory in the market, production volumes decreased in the past month.

SYDNEY, Australia - The photos of landfills with carbon bicycle frames which did not pass the production tests or were at the end of their life cycle went viral some years ago. The contradiction between the environmentally friendly image of the bicycle and the single-use carbon frame is striking. Researchers at the University of Sydney have developed new methods to solve this major source of waste.

TALLINN, Estonia - As startup producing e-cargo bikes for last mile deliveries, Vok Bike closed a €3,8 million seed round last week, including Estonia's SmartCap, Jaan Tallinn's Metaplanet, Specialist VC and Sunly.