Uvex, the German producer of spectacles and helmets, has entered into a strategic distribution partnership for Germany and Austria with a German start-up, Tocsen, which has developed smart crash sensors that are compatible with ski and bicycle helmets and can quickly call for help in an emergency.
When the sensor is attached to a helmet and connected to the smartphone via Bluetooth, it can detect a fall and then automatically make an emergency call if the rider is unable to react. In the event of a fall, the information is given vocally or by SMS not only to the stored emergency contacts, but also to the whole community of Tocsen users within a radius of 50 kilometers, so that first aid can be provided rapidly. Community members are alerted and guided to the scene of the accident by GPS.
The Uvex Group performed relatively well in the 2018/19 financial year, posting an overall sales increase of 5 percent to €475 million in the three business segments of Safety, Sports (under the Uvex and Alpina brands) and Filtral (sunglasses and reading glasses). The Sports and Leisure division generated sales of €131 million with a plus of 5 percent as well.
The market environment was described by the management as “extremely challenging,” with sales of snow sports helmets and goggles estimated to have continued to decline due to market saturation and poor winters. An opposite trend was mentioned in cycling, which has continued to boom in the area of urban mobility, leading to strong growth rates.
The Uvex Sports Group achieved high growth rates in equestrian sports with its riding helmets and riding gloves. Flat sales were reported for the Filtral Group.
