Ecobike development: a social enterprise to bring bamboo bikes to Ethiopia
Principal Investigator(s): Dr Shpend Gerguri
Contact: s.gerguri@brookes.ac.uk
Project start: June 2018
Funded by: USADF
About us
The Cycle Mobility Group hosted a sustainable enterprise from Ethiopia in July 2018. Staff worked with Mrs Ethiopia Wondimu on the design and manufacture of an ecobike made from bamboo, building on previous success of the bamboo bike project back in 2011.
Mrs Wondimu secured a Mandela Washington Fellowship for young African leaders and spent 3 months in the US training on the leadership aspects of business and entrepreneurship. She also won a $25K USDAF (United States African Development Foundation) grant competition to help with the development of the enterprise.
The sustainable enterprise will make use of Ethiopia’s bamboo resources to create bikes that will be manufactured locally and provide transport for rural communities in Ethiopia to promote and enhance mobility.
Related courses
- Mechanical Engineering (MSc)
Research impact
One of the primary aims is to empower women, low income groups and isolated rural dwellers with access to employment opportunities and training in skilled work, low cost transport and to allow children the ability to attend school.
After successfully creating porotypes in July 2018, the design blueprints were formally handed over to Ecobike Manufacturing PLC, an enterprise set up by Mrs Wondimu. The Cycle Mobility Group will be working with the enterprise to support the engineering development, manufacturing of the bikes and future products.
The story featured in the local news media - see Oxford Brookes develop Bamboo bikes for new business in Ethiopia.
