The Head of Robert Gordon University’s (RGU) Gray’s School of Art is to deliver the keynote presentation at an event which will highlight the engineering, manufacturing and commercial opportunities in the cycling industry.
The free event, to be held on Thursday 9th February at RGU in Aberdeen, is a joint venture between RGU and the Mountain Bike Centre of Scotland (MTBCoS), Scotland’s national centre of mountain biking innovation and excellence.
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With forecasts that the global bicycle market is forecasted to be worth $59 billion by 2021, attendees to the event will have the opportunity to learn about the manufacturing and commercial opportunities available to make cycling products and services.
Professor Chris O’Neil, Head of Gray’s School of Art at Robert Gordon University, will talk about the future of high value manufacturing and share his insights on the fusion of product design, engineering and innovation as well detailing some of the work being undertaken at MAKE Aberdeen, the city’s first digital fabrication studio which is hosted by RGU.
Chris commented: “The cycling market has experienced a significant boom in recent years and with this comes the opportunity for real innovation in design.
“From the bikes themselves to the vast associated product range, there is huge scope for designers and manufacturers to enhance existing products and bring new ones to the market, using traditional and new digital making techniques.
“This event will give us the chance to look the processes involved in bringing these products to the marketplace, from initial idea right through to business.”
Other presentations will cover the size and opportunities in the cycling industry, how to make prototypes and attendees will also learn about the support networks that exist to help turn ideas into products.
Business Development Executive for MTBCoS, Danny Cowe, added: “We are delighted to work with Robert Gordon University who have fantastic expertise in product design and engineering that Scottish businesses can access.
“We work with companies who either have an original idea for a new business or have a product or service which could be adapted for the mountain bike or wider cycling market. We meet them early in their product development lifecycle and advise them of the support available to them in Scotland.
“Many businesses we meet have great innovative ideas but lack an element, either in their knowledge of the product or the sector, which prevents them getting their product to market. To help them overcome that barrier we can link them with Scottish universities where their expertise will be able to help them develop their product.
“Once they are market ready we also provide support for businesses to internationalise for example we have been able to work in partnership with Scottish Development International, and for the last 4 years we have ran learning journeys and a product stand at EuroBike, the world’s largest bike show.”
