[NEWS]

Von Kuenheim new President of IMMA

During the General Assembly held in Toronto on May 6 and 7 Hendrik von Kuenheim, CEO of BMW Motorrad, has been appointed President of IMMA, the International Motorcycle Manufacturers Association. Mr von Kuenheim takes the place of Minoru Harada, head of operations at Honda Motor Company and Vice Chairman of JAMA’s motorcycle committee, who stepped down after two years in office.

The International Motorcycle Manufacturers Association, is the professional organisation which represents the motorcycle industry at world level. IMMA’s Members are the national and regional associations representing the industry around the world.

IMMA’s mission is the development of international regulations and standards which affect the construction and the use of motorcycles. By "motorcycle" two and three wheeled vehicles are intended including mopeds, scooters and the many different types of small commercial or even passenger vehicles with three wheels.

Currently IMMA participates in the work of the United Nations committees on vehicle construction and road safety, the International Organisation for Standardisation (ISO), the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), the Asian Pacific Economic Co-operation (APEC) organisation and the European Council of Ministers of Transport (ECMT). IMMA was founded in 1947 under the name Bureau Permanent International des Constructeurs de Motocycles. The name changed to IMMA in 1987.

Thanking the delegates for his election Mr von Kuenheim, 48, announced that his program would involve carrying on IMMA’s mission to further seek worldwide technical harmonisation. Furthermore the new President stated that IMMA's involvement at political level in the safety debate needed to gain momentum. Von Kuenheim also told the Assembly that he would welcome new associates thus enlarging IMMA’s membership.

As CEO of a European manufacturer with business worldwide Mr von Kuenheim outlined what is at stake in Europe and accordingly also at global level. PTW participation in transport, for leisure or urban mobility shall increase in the coming years. To ensure continued growth and prosperity of the sector, the challenge is to make PTWs more sustainable in their mobility in terms of safety and environment. This process requires the Industry to provide policymakers with the motorcycle industry’s long term vision. “The way we respond to these expectations”, said Mr von Keunheim, “will determine the size of tomorrow’s markets”. Coordination across all industry associations needs to be attained in order to tackle legislative hurdles at National, Regional and International level. “It is a matter of making the right strategic choices” concluded Mr von Kuenheim, “connecting current and future initiatives in a coherent way and developing necessary relationship, partnership and activities”.

Furthermore the President’s speech highlighted some issues at European level that may influence the debate at international level. The 50% fatality reduction target by 2010 and the upcoming 4th Road Safety Action Programme with its new objectives. The 3rd Driving License Directive, which will influence the EU market from 2013 and onwards. And finally the new PTW technical regulation due in 2010-2001 that requires a holistic approach, an analysis that ACEM is already carrying out.

Link:

IMMA