POR / POC PROJECTS - VENETO REGION
Projects funded and developed with POR‑FESR and POC‑FESR contributions from the Veneto Region
PROJECT FUNDED BY THE POR FESR 2014–2020 OF THE VENETO REGION
Axis 1 “RESEARCH, TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENT AND INNOVATION”
Training systems for cyclists
Elite Wheel
Action 1.1.1 “Support for research projects carried out by companies that involve employing researchers (PhD holders and graduates with technical‑scientific backgrounds) within the companies themselves.”
Elite SRL SB is among the three leading companies worldwide in training systems for professional cyclists and demanding amateur athletes.
Over the past two years, the market has undergone major changes with the entry of large multinational corporations.
Elite therefore considers it strategic to expand into different sectors, developing modular products that can be integrated with one another and that—through appropriate software variations—can be used across multiple market segments.
Thanks to the project funded by the Veneto Region through the European FESR fund, with a contribution of €66,873.60, Elite hired two new researchers who studied and developed a new type of “virtual” flywhee - an electromagnetic system with no physical moving parts, fully controlled via software.
Due to its unique features, this flywheel is particularly suited for motor rehabilitation - a new market for Elite - because it makes it possible to:
a) control the user’s effort (e.g., as programmed by a physician);
b) virtualize the workload required by a real outdoor route and reproduce it indoors while monitoring the subject’s responses;
c) analyze responses through software, adapting the flywheel settings and providing insights for subsequent rehabilitation sessions;
d) “reverse” the action (via software): the force is generated by the virtual flywheel, and the user’s muscles must counter‑push (with resistance adjustable by the physician/therapist). This makes the system particularly valuable for the rehabilitation of elderly people with motor difficulties, people with disabilities, and for the recovery of cyclists.
PROJECT FUNDED BY THE POC FESR 2014–2020 OF THE VENETO REGION
Bacs, Bikes, Accessories components, sport promotions
Export promotion projects aimed at companies and their aggregated forms identified on a territorial or sectoral basis
APPLICATION ID 10268848
ACTION 3.4.1 – Project funded by the POC of the Veneto Region
POC – COMPLEMENTARY OPERATIONAL PROGRAMME TO THE FESR 2014–2020
Description of the Project
DESCRIPTION
Call for proposals supporting export‑promotion projects developed by Industrial Districts, Regional Innovative Networks, and Business Aggregations.
PROJECT
Over the years, this important project has provided support for national and international commercial expansion through trade fairs dedicated to the cycling sector, aimed at facilitating entry into the market and strengthening the company’s presence within it.
The initiatives carried out have contributed to increasing the visibility of our brands and enhancing our commercial positioning.
Objectives and Results
OBJECTIVES
The project provided support for participation in international trade fairs. In Elite’s case, this specifically concerned attendance at the largest trade fair in the sector: Eurobike (Friedrichshafen, Germany).
Elite’s objectives included increasing sales, strengthening relationships with existing customers, acquiring new ones, holding meetings with business partners and distributors, and assessing the expectations and potential developments of the target market—also through competitor analysis. Another key goal was to reinforce the image and brand awareness of Elite.
Elite’s strategy is to continuously offer cutting‑edge products aligned with market needs. The trade‑fair experience therefore represents not only a showcase for new products but, above all, a testing ground for them, enhancing the role and opinion of the end consumer and enabling direct comparison with all the main players in the market.
RESULTS
The events helped promote and strengthen commercial relationships, offered new business opportunities with potential international customers, and provided valuable opportunities to engage with other stakeholders in the cycling market. They also served as an excellent showcase, allowing Elite to reaffirm its brand as one of the most important international references for enthusiasts in the sector.
All planned objectives were therefore fully achieved.