Italian-made bicycle exports on the rise in the UK and US
Mobility — di Emanuele Rigitano
Exports of bicycles and components are experiencing a minor boom, driven in part by Italian quality craftsmanship, which is highly appreciated abroad.
Italian-made bicycle exports on the rise in the UK and US
Exports of bicycles and components are experiencing a minor boom, driven in part by Italian quality craftsmanship, which is highly appreciated abroad.
Exports of bicycles are keeping the Italian economy pedalling fast: good news that recognises the quality of Italian manufacturers on the world stage, as borne out by exports going from strength to strength. Indeed, the Made in Italy label for two-wheelers, according to a study by Confartigianato, reached a full 617 million euros in 2015, an increase of 2.2 per cent compared with the previous year. This is one of many figures that can only make Italy proud when it comes to bicycle exports — one of the country's internationally recognised flagship sectors, thanks in no small part to the many small and medium-sized enterprises rising to the new challenges of cycling technology.
Bicycle exports: the countries where Italy sells the most
Artisan manufacturing in bicycle components has won over the United Kingdom and the United States, with a double-digit sales boom (increases of 17.8 and 10.1 per cent respectively). France, however, remains the country that buys the most Italian products, both in terms of bicycles and components, to the value of 100 million euros. Germany, the United Kingdom and Spain follow.
The rise in bicycle exports has also spurred new business creation: companies involved in the production, repair and hire of bicycles increased by 2.8 per cent between 2013 and 2016, providing employment for almost eight thousand people.
Artisans account for a full two thousand businesses, concentrated above all in Lombardy, Emilia-Romagna and Veneto, which continue to produce high-quality pieces that are appreciated the world over — to the point of enabling production growth more than double that of the rest of the European Union.
The supply chain is also encouraging cycling mobility, as highlighted by Confartigianato. In 2015, a full 743,000 Italians decided to cycle to work, a growth of 4.5 per cent compared with five years earlier. Which regions see the most cycling? Leading the way is the province of Bolzano, with a rate of 13 per cent of workers choosing to pedal, followed by Emilia-Romagna with almost eight per cent and Veneto just behind at 7.7.