Let consumers have a say in product development. This is the idea of the scientific INNOCOPE concept that Hawk Bikes and Craftsmen Design applied for the development of the Swizzbee 25L. Both, the consumers and industry partners involved praise the good results of such cooperation.
 

 
“I think, customers and manufacturers should communicate. Finally it's my money I spend when I buy something. So I would like to have a say.” These are the words of one of the consumers who took part in the INNOCOPE product development workshops. INNOCOPE stands for INNOvation through COnsumer-integrated Product dEvelopment and has been developed by scientists of the GELENA Project at the University of Oldenburg, Germany. When Hawk Bikes Development and Manufacturing and Craftsmen Design Office developed the Swizzbee 25L pedelec in 2005, they applied the INNOCOPE concept in cooperation with scientists from the University of Oldenburg and the Institute for Ecological Economic Research (Institut für Ökologische Wirtschaftsforschung) in Berlin, Germany.

During three product development workshops the participants of Hawk Bikes and Craftsmen Design, the GELENA team and around 20 consumers from Berlin discussed product requirements for pedelecs, ideas how to improve them, and marketing strategies to increase sales and improve the image of pedelecs.

Industry and Consumers involved Praise the Good Results
On the part of the industry, Hawk Bikes and Craftsmen Design praised key characteristics of the INNOCOPE concept saying that the direct contact with end-customers helped them to learn what the consumers really expect of a pedelec: How much they would pay, how often they would use a pedelec, what weight they would accept, how long the battery should last … Especially with regards to ladies bikes, they learned a lot, said the company representatives. “What is great about such consumer workshops is the education of us manufacturers. The INNOCOPE concept got us a step further to be more efficient in product development and innovation.”

In late September 2005, Hawk Bikes presented the first prototype of the Swizzbee 25L in one of the workshops. Not only regarding the weight of 20 kg, the range of 30 km, the motor assisted max. speed of 25 km/h but also the frame design, dynamo and lighting, Hawk Bikes has tried to refer to the consumers' requests. The participating consumers were excited about the result and said, the pedelec was good-looking, multi-functional, and met their design ideas.

Good Grades for Pedelecs as Sustainable Products
The task within the GELENA Project, which was supported by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research, was to develop ecologically and socially effective - sustainable - products. Such products often require changes in product development and consumer behavior. This makes cooperation between manufacturers and consumers even more important said the GELENA Team. Applying the INNOCOPE concept to the development of a pedelec as sustainable product made good sense to the GELENA scientists for several reasons: Pedelecs can reach a higher speed and trip range than regular bicycles; the electricity can be taken from regenerative energy sources and because pedelecs are an attractive and environmentally friendly alternative to gazoline vehicles in city centers.

A computer simulation on the environmental effect of different types of vehicles was shown during one of the workshops and demonstrated that pedelecs reach better results in terms of green house effect, summer smog and acidification than other means of transportation. From the social point of view a pedelec is a good companion. It enables especially older people to get back to physical exercise and thus enjoy better health, more fun and good company.

Swizzbee 25L now sold
Sales of the Swizzbee 25L have started in Europe in January 2006. Unfortunately the Swiss company Swizzbee has not participated in the ExtraEnergy Pedelec Test 2005/06 and there are no riding data how the new bike actually performs.


Links:
Scientific Project Partners:
University of Oldenburg, GELENA Project
Institute for ecological economic research (Institut für ökologische Wirtschaftsforschung) Berlin/Heidelberg

Industry Project Partners:
Hawk Bikes E&M GmbH, Berlin
Craftsmen Design Cremer Haller GbR, Berlin

Swizzbee Website


January 18, 2006