How Portugal is cycling to success

Business Daily

BBC

News, Business

4.4 • 796 Ratings

🗓️ 1 March 2023

⏱️ 19 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

The global bicycle market is set to grow by 5% every year over the next decade. Demand has been rising, particularly since the start of the coronavirus pandemic as people look for an alternative to crowded public transport. Concern for climate change and rising fuel prices have also helped to push people onto bikes. Portugal is the biggest bicycle manufacturer in Europe. According to Eurostat, it produced 2.9 million bicycles in 2021, with exports generating around 594 million euros - almost 610 million US dollars - and sales are up 49% this year.

The Secretary General of the industry group Abimota, Gil Nadais, explains how Portugal has benefitted from EU import tariffs.

Pedro Araújo, the CEO of Polisport Group tells us how the industry is working together to cope with rising energy prices and to overcome supply chain problems and staff shortages.

Portugal's Secretary of State for Urban Transport, Jorge Delgado explains how the government is trying to encourage more people to cycle in Portugal, where there’s been a historical reluctance, by investing more in infrastructure and giving free bikes to school children.

Presenter/producer: Lisa Louis

(Photo: Ironman 70.3 Portugal Cascais. Credit; Getty Images)

Transcript

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0:00.0	Hi, Namulanta Combo here and I'm excited to tell you that my award-winning podcast, Dear Daughter, is back for a second season and it's available now. Find out more at the end of this podcast.
0:16.7	Hello, I'm Lisa Louie and welcome to Business Daily on the BBC.
0:22.5	In today's program, we are looking at Portugal's secret recipe
0:26.7	that has helped it become Europe's number one bicycle producer.
0:31.1	Portugal has become the real hub where the bicycles are assembled.
0:36.9	That's down to low labour costs,
0:39.6	the EU's anti-dumping measures and a certain Portuguese inventiveness.
0:45.1	But there are challenges ahead to keep Portugal's production wheel turning.
0:51.2	Other countries aren't asleep.
0:53.5	We need to think ahead.
0:58.1	Portugal is a small country in Western Europe, with only 10 million inhabitants, 2% of the EU's population.
1:07.1	And yet, it produces a fifth of the block's bicycles.
1:11.6	So how does the country manage to lead that peloton?
1:15.7	First, let me take you to the place to be when it comes to bicycles in Portugal.
1:24.1	I'm in a little town called Agida in northern Portugal.
1:28.3	Now, this municipality with about 50,000 inhabitants
1:32.3	is normally known for the hundreds of colourful umbrellas
1:36.3	that are hanging above its streets.
1:40.3	But this place is also the centre of what's called Portugal's Bike Valley,
1:45.7	a region churning out pedal bikes that have become a global export hit.
1:50.8	The valley is home to about 60 companies, employing roughly 8,000 people directly,
1:56.7	and about three times as many indirectly.
	...

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