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Progress on Netherlands Cycling Embassy, august 2011 From May, progress has been made to set up a new foundation in the Netherlands, the Netherlands Cycling Embassy. The initiative came from several parties: I-CE, the Ministry of Transport and Waterways (now the Ministry of Infrastructure and the Environment), the Cycling Council (a network with the national, provincial and local governments located at CROW/ Transport Knowledge Resource Centre) and the Cyclists’ Union “Fietsersbond”. The aim of the Cycling Embassy is to set up a public private partnership that brings together initiatives from the private and public sector, to export products and expertise and to support cycling policy development abroad.
Manufacturers, agencies, governments, universities, civil society organisations will be participants if the Cycling Embassy and contribute to this public private network, in their own and in a common interest. The approach resembles the Danish Cycling Embassy. The Cycling Embassy will be a channel to support market exploration, market development and international cooperation to enhance cycling inclusive planning and the bicycle market and it will deliver contributions to sustainable transport policies. It will cooperate with the Dutch government and Dutch Embassies and consulates, presenting the Dutch profile on cycling and international cooperation. Roelof Wittink, director of I-CE, was appointed to explore if the Embassy finds sufficient support and after 2 months of consultations, the conclusion was: it does. Now he is working to set up a new foundation for this. Companies, governments and organisations become a participant when they contribute with a fee and/or in kind contributions. In return the Embassy will support market exploration and deliver inputs to market development, and present a platform to join forces and capacities to deliver more and better services in answer to the demand from abroad. We at I-CE consider this development a great opportunity to capatilize on the work we did at I-CE and upscale it. |
