1. What motivated you to participate in IAA MOBILITY 2025? And what do you expect from your participation?
IAA aims to be a true mobility fair – and that only works if bicycles are strongly represented. That’s why I’m here. Back in 2023, I found my visit and the panel discussion with VDA and VDV very rewarding. Mobility is diverse and plays a central role in both our society and economy – and I enjoy discussing that with leaders of other industry associations. The bicycle, especially the e-bike, deserves a larger role within this diversity. But we also need buses and trains, cars, and walking. People want the freedom to choose how they get around – freedom of choice instead of dependency, that’s the point. Our industries also face shared economic challenges: the future of the mobility economy, the transition toward digitalization and electrification. But we’ll also need to talk about conflicts of interest, such as competition for street space or road safety.
2. Which mobility concept currently inspires you the most and why?
The e-bike has sparked an innovation boom in the cycling sector, and we’re right in the middle of the transformation. It’s fantastic to see how much value this shift brings to people. Commuters with long distances are switching to e-bikes – they’re fast, efficient, and keep people fit. Hills have become a highlight instead of a burden thanks to the motor. Older people can enjoy long rides again and stay independent for longer. Trailers and cargo bikes provide a 360-degree solution for family mobility. In short: the use cases for bicycles have multiplied. And like cars, bikes are becoming increasingly digital – able to communicate with riders and even with other vehicles. I see great potential here for improving road safety.
3. What innovations in your field will most change the way we move around cities in the next five years?
Innovation isn’t an end in itself, and its development isn’t a law of nature. For me, the key question is: what’s the goal of change? What do society and the economy actually need? My answer: we need demand-driven and efficient mobility. Strong options for the wide range of everyday travel needs. For a long time, the easiest answer was simply to use a car for everything. Today, thanks to innovation, that’s no longer the case. Digitalization in carsharing and in public transport timetables and ticketing, along with the electrification of bikes, has made these alternatives more attractive. Demand has risen sharply. In the next five years, the task will be to offer citizens good bike lanes, nearby carsharing stations, and high-quality buses and trains. That’s true choice. Ultimately, this promises real improvements for our towns and cities – whether in Garching, Dachau, or Munich: more space instead of parking lots, less congestion, more efficient commercial traffic, more room for kids, for jogging and walking, and for thriving retail and hospitality.
4. How do you promote the integration of different mobility forms to create a seamless and efficient transportation infrastructure?
Within the Sustainable Mobility Economy Alliance, which includes cycling, rail, public transit, and carsharing, we’re advocating for the introduction of a mobility budget. Many everyday trips are work-related. Supporting sustainable mobility options with tax incentives here is an important lever. With a mobility budget, employers could enable their employees to flexibly use different modes of transport. For that, we need flat-rate taxation and simple billing options. Most people already switch between different forms of transport depending on their needs – promoting that flexibility would be a true benefit. The current system is completely outdated, and it’s time we broke out of the lock-in that dominates our economic and tax policies.
5. How do you see the role of public and private partnerships in promoting innovative mobility solutions?
Bike-sharing is a great example. It should be organized privately but designed as an integral part of public transit to reach its full potential. The availability of shared bikes massively extends the catchment areas of transit stations. It makes sense to treat these services as part of public infrastructure. The shift to cycling also measurably eases the burden on healthcare systems. Every investment in bike-sharing systems and cycling infrastructure pays off several times over.
6. What are the biggest challenges you currently face in your segment, and how are you addressing them?
Demand for bikes and e-bikes is relatively stable, even though price pressure has been high over the past two years. Many people are cautious due to economic uncertainty, so consumption is more restrained. At the same time, the industry is consolidating after several boom years gave way to weaker growth. The biggest growth brake, however, is still infrastructure: supply simply doesn’t meet demand. Safe, connected bike routes are often missing or in poor condition. Many people don’t feel comfortable riding – and of course, that means they ride less. Nobody wants their child to cycle to school along a busy highway. This situation also limits sales and overall industry development. Federal, state, and local governments must act here – not only for the cycling industry, but also for freedom of choice, road safety, and climate protection.
7. Which essential future topic receives too little attention from the public?
It will be very interesting to see how autonomous cars affect cycling. Many drivers go too fast, and traffic violations endanger unprotected road users. Automated driving would require cars to obey traffic laws, which could significantly improve conditions for cyclists. So alongside all the concerns about autonomous driving, there are opportunities here for all road users that haven’t yet been fully recognized.
Another overlooked issue is the connection between mobility and health. Our healthcare system is heading toward collapse, not least because of inactivity and lack of exercise. Those who get around actively – on foot or by bike – already have the equivalent of a gym in their pocket. Bicycle promotion could also be funded through public health and prevention budgets.
8. In which area of mobility do you see the greatest potential and where the greatest need for improvement?
I see enormous potential in better linking different modes of transport. Bikes, buses, trains, carsharing – they all need to work together if mobility is to be attractive for everyone in the future. We still need to remove barriers to make multimodal travel flexible and safe, so that more people truly have the freedom to choose their optimal mobility mix. That’s where I see major need for action. For quick wins, the fastest growth potential lies in reallocating space for cycling infrastructure – for example, pop-up bike lanes on car lanes or parking spaces. It’s inexpensive, and demand is already there. More than 70 percent of everyday trips can easily be done with an e-bike.
9. IAA MOBILITY is the leading global mobility platform, bringing together innovators from all spectra of mobility. Who do you want to connect with this coming September and why?
I look forward to engaging with all the different industries, but especially with policymakers – because you can’t solve the challenges of the future with recipes from the past. The bicycle industry is the very definition of modern mobility and a strong economic driver. Not everyone has realized that yet.