Portuguese exports exceeded expectations
Exports from the Portuguese two-wheelers and soft mobility sector worth 594 million euros in 2021, which represented an increase of 39% compared to 2020, which had been, until then, the best year ever.
The figures recently published by the Portuguese National Statistics Institute (INE) exceeded the expectations that the Portuguese two-wheelers and soft mobility sector had for the year 2021.
“We actually had a perspective of growing around 30% last year, however, the figures for the second half of the year surpassed our most optimistic expectations.” Says Gil Nadais, Secretary General of ABIMOTA.
“In 2020 we noticed that a seasonality that existed in the sector disappeared. Until 2019, it was normal for factories to work at full capacity until the summer, and the second semester used to be a period of lower production, with companies working fundamentally to replenish stocks. However, since last year, this seasonality has disappeared as a result of the huge international demand this sector has, in our days.” Mentions the leader of the Association for Two Wheels, Metallic Furniture and Hardware (ABIMOTA).
The Portuguese two-wheelers and soft mobility sector has been growing steadily since the beginning of this century, but it was in 2015 that this growth accelerated definitively, bringing the sector to its current figures.
“The creation of Portugal Bike Value brand was a milestone. It was the implementation of this umbrella brand, that integrates the entire Portuguese two-wheelers and soft mobility industry, which allowed this sector, that was already endowed with specialized labour and technology, to gain international visibility and dimension. In this way, Portugal became an extremely competitive country and the results prove it.” Says Gil Nadais.
In our days Portugal has been, for two consecutive years, the biggest bicycle producer in Europe. Portugal has the largest European bicycle assembly plant, the largest wheels and rims manufacturer and the largest manufacturer of bicycle transmission chains in Europe. it is in Portugal that there is the world's first robotized factory for aluminum frames. The lightest bicycle saddles in the world (24 grams) are Portuguese. The first carbon fiber bicycle frame factory, outside Asia is established in Portugal and some of the companies that registered the largest number of patents for this sector are Portuguese, too.
Not everything is a bed of roses.
One of the biggest problems national companies are facing at the moment is the scarcity of some components on the market.
Scarce components and more expensive transport, make some of the production may suffer delays and price increases. However, there is a strong investment to increase Portugal's independence in bicycle production and in this theme, innovation plays a key role.
“The search for short distribution chains is a market requirement and for us it is a necessity. Therefore, the national sector is increasingly investing in R&D (research and development) and it is in our plans to create a new entity, which will be fundamental for Portugal to continue to assert itself in the international sector at the highest level.” Gil Nadais recalls, and also emphasizes that:
“For the first time, we carried out all tests related to e-bikes in Portugal and most of them within ABIMOTA's facilities using recently acquired resources, which enable us at a high level to respond to the associates and the sector needs. The selection and investment in these resources also aimed to respond to the evolution of the soft mobility sector, namely also focusing on the tests of electric scooters and cargo-bikes.”
Economic data
The sector's exports in 2021 reached €594M and registered a growth of 39%.
There are currently 51 Portuguese companies dedicated to the production of conventional and electric bicycles, as well as other vehicles related to soft mobility, with an average turnover above ten million euros
The soft mobility sector generates more than 8,000 direct jobs and more than 24,000 indirect jobs, taking into account the increase in the complexity and extension of the supply chain that we have been observing.
The Portuguese sector already exports to a hundred countries, with the main importers of Portuguese products, in order of magnitude: Spain, France, Germany, United Kingdom, Belgium and the Netherlands.
The sector had an investment rate, in 2020, of 25.13% against the national average of 21.72%. It should also be noted that the expenditure on company personnel per person employed in this sector of activity is 21,457.93 Euros, a value that is 148% of the overall national average and which is 5% of the average of the value practiced in the automotive sector.
Source: INE - Portuguese National Statistics Institute
Gil Nadais - ABIMOTA´s Secretary General
