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Eurobike 2019 will devote an entire day and dedicated area to start-ups.
In recent years, the start-up theme has become more and more important at Eurobike, and this year will see an entire Start-Up Day on 4th September dedicated to new businesses and innovations in the bike industry.
“We feel that it is important to encourage a strong connection between the established bike industry and start-ups to reflect and respond to current social changes,” said Dirk Heidrich, Eurobike project manager, Messe Friedrichshafen.
“This dialogue between new businesses and established bike companies has benefits for both sides. Start-ups profit from business experience and established players are inspired by the innovation and agility of these new firms.”
During the morning session from 9.30, the focus will be on knowledge transfer with presentations from the Eurobike Academy regarding financing, legal requirements for product development and cooperation opportunities between start-ups and established bike companies.
In the afternoon, representatives from both groups will be discussing bikes as products, as a means of transport and within the framework of social trend analysis on the podium in an international panel, including participants from the Netherlands and Scotland.
From 3.45pm, the 20 finalists in the Eurobike Start-Up Awards will be presenting their products to the industry. The products include a sand-based waterproof fabric made with nanotechnology, via new e-bike drives, smart fall sensors and, naturally, innovative bike designs, components and micro-mobility solutions.
After the pitch presentations, the winners of the Start-Up category will be announced during the Eurobike Awards prize-giving ceremony.
The subsequent ‘Start-Up Lounge Bodensee’ networking party, which is organised jointly with the ‘Start-Up Netzwerk Bodensee’, will also feature a round-table discussion with last year’s winners.
The Start-Up Day programme is designed to actively encourage an open exchange of ideas and offers participants plenty of opportunity for networking.
During all four days of the Eurobike show, the brand-new Start-Up Area in the East Passage will be home to 51 young businesses who will be presenting their innovative products and services and talking to visitors. The integrated Start-Up Bar and lounge area will also provide the perfect meeting point and forum for discussion.
The Start-Up Day is organised with the Berlin agency Velokonzept.
Eurobike 2019 will open to trade visitors for three business days, 4th to 6th September, followed by Festival Day on 7th September. You can read more about the show in our August edition of BikeBiz.
