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How did you hit on the idea for the bibchip?
The original impetus behind the development of the bibchip came directly from the market itself. At the time, many runners, athletes and sportspeople were calling for a time-keeping system which would be simple, inexpensive and – of course- reliable to use during sports events. In response, we focused our development work on a passive transponder which could be integrated into the athlete’s usual start number and then thrown away afterwards.
Have you achievements been translated into market acceptance?
Yes, in terms of the number runners using our product, we became market leader in 2004. With a million athletes crossing the finishing line wearing our product, we achieved a meaningful milestone in a very short period of time. The current running season will see the bibchip being used at over 1.000 events in German speaking countries, which means that our product is also out in front in terms of the terms of the number of events.
What stage were you at when you received the BrandNew Award?
At the time, the bibchip had just been born. As engineers from the Fraunhofer Institute, we had developed a product which we believed to have an enormous potential in the highly-fragmented market of running events. We realized that the time had come to take a professional approach to the market launch of the bibchip. The BrandNew exhibition provided our team with an excellent opportunity to get our ideas and concepts in order. I think this is useful exercise in discipline for any newcomer, encouraging him to formulate his ideas in a way that will go down well with the market, and to present a professional image to the outside world.
How has mandigo fared since winning the award?
As predicted, mandigo’s bibchip has enjoyed rapid growth. Our success lies in the success of the event organizers, who can use the bibchip to offer a whole new quality of services the athletes: This enhances the attractiveness of the event, boosting the number of participants.
What did ispo do for you?
The ispo event enabled us to make a large number of constructive contacts, allowing us to maintain an excellent business network, which is now developing in a whole new direction. As the ispo becomes more international, it allows us to become part of a network within the sports community which is expanding towards China and Moscow: This new direction that the ispo is taking comes at the perfect time for us, as the bibchip is able to gain ground on the world market.
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