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Flanders Bike Valley

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General Information
The date when the cluster organisation was established: 
Wednesday, 16 October, 2013
Number of staff in the management team of the cluster organisation : 
1-5
Legal form of the cluster organisation: 
Non-Profit
Regions: 
Prov. Limburg (BE)
Cluster Excellence Label: 
Other
Membership to European Strategic Cluster Partnerships (ESCP-4i, ESCP-S3 or ESCP-4x): 
EU4SPORTSCLUSTERSALL
Membership to other networks/partnerships: 
NameWebsite
Smart Bike project
http://
Cluster Management Team: 
NameSurnamePositionTelephoneEmail
Celis
Bert
Cluster Manager
+32 497.57.59.59
bert.celis@flandersbikevalley.be
Link to team description on the cluster's website: 
http://www.flandersbikevalley.be/about-us/staff/
Languages spoken: 
Dutch
English
German
Sectoral and Industrial Focus
Sectoral Industries: 
Recreational and Small Electric Goods
Textile Manufacturing
Technology fields: 
Aeronautical technology / Avionics
Composite materials
S3 EU priority areas: 
Sports activities
Motor vehicles & other transport equipments
Emerging industries: 
Blue Growth Industries
Mobility Technologies
Areas of specialisation of the cluster not covered above: 
Aerodynamic Wind Tunnel Test facilities
Composition of the cluster
Total number of members: 
53
Number of SME members: 
47
Number of larger company members: 
1
Number of research organisations/universities/technology centres: 
3
Number of other ecosystem actors : 
2
Link to the cluster members’ list: 
http://www.flandersbikevalley.be/members/
Entrepreneurship and scale-up support facilities in the cluster's ecosystem (see "Organisation type"): 
Name and link of major players: 
NameWebsiteType
Race Productions N.V.
http://www.ridley-bikes.com
SME
Lazer Sport N.V.
http://http://www.lazersport.com/
SME
BioRacer N.V.
http://www.bioracer.com
SME
Voxdale bvba
http://http://www.voxdale.be/
SME
3M
http://http://www.3m.com/
Larger Company
Flanders' Make
http://http://www.flandersmake.be/
Technology Center
DSP Valley
http://http://www.dspvalley.com/
Technology Center
Cluster Strategy
Mission/Objectives: 

The Flanders’ Bike Valley Cluster brings together actors in the field of bicycle & cycling sciences and technologies: public research organizations, private companies and specialized service providers in a Quadruple Helix format, including strategic stakeholders. The Cluster is managed by experienced entrepreneurial managers with roots in business development and cycling industries.

As an emerging cluster, the mission of the Flanders’ Bike Valley Cluster is to actively participate in building a successful ecosystem that will attract and retain companies and laboratories that are active in the bicycle & cycling field contributing to boosting innovation, economic performance and employment.

The epicenter of this cycling-ecosystem is based in Flanders where R & D goes together with innovative quick response manufacturing, smart specializations and human centered production. This challenging magnet will attract the most creative and entrepreneurial human capital to create magnitude in the development of a strong valley where anyone wants to work live and life.

The activities of Flanders’ Bike Valley Cluster are therefore articulated around the following objectives:

  • Bring together private and public actors to create mutual trust and encourage the establishment of partnerships and collaborations
  • Support cluster members in their daily R&D, innovation and business challenges 
  • Enhance members’ international visibility and attractiveness
  • Extend the reach of the cluster beyond national borders in order to identify new potential R&D and innovation partners
  • Contribute to the development of a supportive environment able to attract and retain companies and high-level researchers in order to attain scientific excellence in bicycle & cycling related activities.
  • Empower the development of the cycling industries in Flanders
  • Increase and encourage the uptake of new technologies
  • Promote the technological capabilities of private companies and public research in Flanders and thereby enhancing their regional and international visibility
  • Facilitate collaboration between public and private research actors on the national and international level
  • Identify new market possibilities

Facilitate incubation & acceleration infrastructure in cooperation with BikeVille Incubator.

Six operating areas :

  •       Industry & Governments
  •       Sport (federations + athletes)
  •       Recreation & Tourism
  •       Science & Technology
  •       Safety & Health
Do you have a formalised strategy?: 
No
Do you have a specific strategy focus that addresses internationalisation ?: 
No
Services
Support services provided: 
Internationalisation support (= Access to third countries markets)
Facilitation of collaboration between members
Facilitation of cross-sectorial cooperation
Details of support services: 

Internationalisation

- group booth at global leading cycle shows (example : Eurobike Friedrichshafen)

- road shows to present the ecosystem in Taiwan, China, Japan, Australia and USA

- International Sports Innovation Academy with aerodynamic knowledge as specialisation

- International Super Cycling Highway Academy (Smart cities, smart bikes, smart infrastructure)

 

 

Cooperation Activities
International Cooperation
The main countries targeted by the cluster organisation: 
Australia
China
Japan
Taiwan
United States
Our cluster organisation undertook the following international activities to support our members: 
Participation at missions/events/study visits/fairs
Trans-national Cooperation
The main countries targeted by the cluster organisation: 
Germany
Italy
Netherlands
Spain
Our cluster organisation undertook the following trans-national activities to support our members: 
Participation at missions/events/study visits/fairs
Which clusters do you collaborate with?: 
Indescat - Barcelona
Sport & Technology - Eindhoven
DSP Valley - Leuven
EUKA - St.-Truiden
Support Programmes
Participation in Funded Support Programmes: 
European ProgrammesProject NameName & Description (Regional/National)
INTERREG

Euregional Bike Valley - GCS Interreg Project

A specific PIV (Particle Image Velocimetry) system was developed for the Bike Valley windtunnel. This PIV system was specifically developed and tested for measurement of (micro)-aerodynamics of bikes, bike components and cycling wear. It was checked wether the system could measure the effects of surface roughness (micro-aerodynamics). 

The consortium created a leading edge PIV-measurement system which hasn’t been used so far worldwide and unique for the cycling sector

The approval that the resolution of measurement is radically improved, by which a new spectrum of product innovations becomes possible

Factory of the Future - (Flanders)

Construction of a "state of the art" low wind speed wind tunnel for aerodynamic optimisation in cycling, skiing, drones, automotive components etc.
Promotion
Success Story / Achievements: 

Acceleration of the speed of inovation for new smart bicycle helmet from 3 years into 9 months starting from idea until introduction on the markets.

Why should partners choose you for cooperation?: 

The benefits at a glance:

  •  Member meetings : free access for the contact persons (member business updates, FLANDERS’ BIKE Valley activity updates, opportunities for projects & business co-operations, etc.)
  • Events and seminars: free access for all your company personnel at our events and seminars; opportunity to host seminars, and to participate in the presentations and mini-exhibitions at our premises
  • Special Interest Groups focusing on subtopics in the broader embedded technology and smart systems field .
  • Priority and reduced rates for the use of our wind tunnel.
  • Priority and reduced rates for BikeVille Incubator activities.
  • Brokerage events: be sure to be one of the participants in our Business-to-Business event in the FLANDERS’ BIKE Valley region or in the European inter-cluster B2B events. Don’t forget the A2B-forum, where academic partners meet the industry.
  • Matchmaking events for participation in European programs
  • Executive Lunches: enjoy a member discount in high level lunches with an interesting speaker (captains of our industry) and meet your executive colleagues
  • International contacts: as a member you can participate in several international events such as seminars, trade shows, road shows, workshops (reduced cost, higher visibility, under FLANDERS’ BIKE Valley flag)
  • Representation: also if you don’t participate actively in an event, you are represented by the FLANDERS’ BIKE Valley delegation, on international fairs, at job fairs in universities and university colleges and everywhere where FLANDERS’ BIKE Valley is present.
  • Newsletter: you can publish your articles (technical and general information) in our bi-monthly newsletter for free. The online version is available on the FLANDERS’ BIKE Valley website.
  • Newsflash: receive the newsflash exclusively for members with information on own events, partner events, European and regional programmes, brokerage possibilities …
  • Public website: your logo, contact details and profile are posted on the FLANDERS’ BIKE Valley website with a link to your own website. You can also publish your press releases, other news items, planned events or open positions on this website.
  • Social media: active on LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook; aggregating member tweets on our web home page and rebroadcasting member news items through an RSS News portal
  • “Members Only” website section (protected intranet): exclusive information for the members (reports, presentations from member meetings, market information, etc.).
  • Exchange of commercial leads that are generated directly by/through FLANDERS’ BIKE Valley