£13.5 million increase in turnover for local businesses
A survey of 28 firms that work with the Mountain Bike Centre of Scotland has revealed the centre has created 69 new jobs and will generate a £13.5 million increase in turnovers over the next three years.
The Mountain Bike Centre of Scotland was opened in 2014 with them aim of becoming a hub for Scottish mountain bike athletes, riders, businesses, academics, agencies and the community to come together to learn, develop, grow and help Scottish mountain biking become a world leader.
It is based at the Glentress trail centre and is run as a partnership with Edinburgh Napier University, the Scottish Funding Council, Scottish Enterprise and Scottish Cycling.
Fergus Ewing MSP, Scotland’s Minister for Business, Energy and Tourism, will learn how the Borders-based centre has created money-spinning opportunities across a range of sectors including the creation of 69 new jobs and a £7.4million increase in international sales.
Recently the centre has fostered the SussMyBike suspension tuning kit project, which has exceeded its target on Kickstarter by £4,000. It is also home to Dirt School coaching that brought out a smartphone coaching app.
Check out Dirt School coach Ruaridh Cunningham’s Trek Session
Dr Florida-James, a reader in sport and exercise sciences at Edinburgh Napier University, said: “The opportunities for knowledge transfer between business and academia in the mountain bike industry are huge.
“We are therefore excited that Scottish academics and in particular Edinburgh Napier University are taking a lead in an area that offers so many opportunities for innovation and research in real world scenarios.”
Ewing said: “Scotland is blessed with some of the best mountain biking facilities in the world and the Scottish Government is committed to maintaining this international reputation. Mountain biking is not only an excellent way to stay fit and healthy but it is an exciting growth industry, as these new figures show.”
In 2013, a study by University of Highlands & Islands estimated that visiting mountain bikers spent £49 million in the country, with indirect spending amounting to £130 million.