Specialized joins forces with Denk Engineering to develop European Innovation Hub – Bikerumor
Since 2014, Specialized has been the exclusive partner of Denk Engineering, a company that was once an independent design office dedicated solely to the cycling industry. Prior to the partnership with Specialized, Denk Engineering were responsible for some of the more interesting suspension systems we’ve seen in recent times; while founder Peter Denk was was Cannondale’s Director of Technology, he worked closely with Fox on the Dyad RT2 Pull Shock seen on the Cannondale Trigger Carbon.
A 30-year veteran of the cycling industry, Peter Denk also has extensive experience with carbon fiber bicycle manufacturing, and has been at the forefront various technologies including tube-to-tube technology and Direct Surface Bonding technology. More recently with Specialized, Peter was responsible for the 2021 Specialized Stumpjumper, as well as the Epic HT.
Now, Peter Denk’s expertise and ideas, along with those of the team at Denk Engineering, are solely at the disposal of Specialized. In their latest Press Release, Specialized CEO Scott Maguire announced that Denk Engineering has joined Specialized to form the Specialized Freiburg Innovation Center in Germany. Here’s more from Specialized.
Specialized absorbs Denk Engineering
Press Release
Specialized CEO, Scott Maguire, announces that Denk Engineering has joined Specialized, forming the Specialized Freiburg Innovation Center. “This merge is an important part of a larger strategy to develop our European Innovation Hub. We will build a new state-of-the-art innovation center facility in Freiburg, Germany, with expanded capabilities to complement our facility in Cham, Switzerland. Our world class
innovation team will work in both locations with a single focus—to better serve riders by creating bikes that deliver breakthrough performance faster than ever. We are actively recruiting new top talent to power up our already leading team in Freiburg, Cham, and all of our innovation centers worldwide,” Maguire said.
Peter Denk is eager to see the future of Specialized Freiburg develop even further. “This union is very logical. Denk Engineering has been operating as an extension of the Specialized team for years. We have always shared the same values, but this next step will provide the resources, tools, and common processes to unlock the next 50 years of innovation. In addition to developing leading road and mountain bike platforms, the Specialized Freiburg team is excited to focus on bikes that will be part of the solution for a sustainable CO2-free future.”
Eric Schuda, Leader of Performance Bike Innovation at Specialized, is looking forward to better serving riders with this change. By investing in and unleashing the potential of the best talent in the world, we are able to give riders their dream rides before they even dream them. To deliver on our purpose and to stay ahead of the competition, we are committed to investing in deep, long-term innovation—it is core to our values. This merger and innovation center enhancement is an example of that commitment, as are the investments we’ve made in the teams and facilities at our multiple innovation centers in North America and Asia.”