By Andrea Hargraves 
The construction of the Carbon Team plant, a 9,000 square meter pavilion, began in October 2019 and was completed last December, put into operation shortly after, but will only be officially opened tomorrow, July 9, at a ceremony presided over by Pedro Siza Viera, Minister of State, Economy and Digital Transformation.
The Carbon team, located in Cambia, in the municipality of Fuzilla, results from an initial investment of 8.4 million euros by the Triangle consortium, which brings together Portuguese companies Rodi (Europe’s largest wheel manufacturer), Miranda & Irmão and Ciclo Fapril, German vehicles Bike Ahead and Group Professional from Taiwan.
It is “the first manufacturer of carbon bicycle frames outside of Asia”, ensuring the National Association of Two-wheeler, Hardware, Furniture and Related Industries (Abimota), adding that the main objective of the Carbon team is to meet the needs felt by the European market in terms of carbon bicycle frames.”
“So far, anyone looking for carbon tires can only do so in Asia, or in small factories with very limited delivery capacity, outside of that continent. Thus, the Carbon team for Portugal and Europe has introduced a revolutionary technology, which comes fully into the plans of Portugal Bike. Value, a program that supports the internationalization of the Portuguese two-wheeled and seamless mobility sector,” confirmed Gil Nadayes, Secretary General of Abiemota, in a statement.
The Carbon team has the capacity to produce 25,000 carbon tires annually, a target it expects to achieve by 2024, creating 120 jobs and a turnover of around 15 million euros.
“In the plans of the brand, there is already a possibility, in the medium term, to increase the production area by more than seven thousand square meters,” offers Abimota, underlining the fact that Carbon Team produces “the lightest tire in the world, and that this is a pioneering installation in Europe and beyond.” “.