Goodyear Teams up with Case Western University to Launch “Beyond Tires” Innovation Challenge

Leading tire manufacturer, The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company teamed up with the Weatherhead School of Management at Case Western Reserve University, in Cleveland, Ohio, to launch a “Beyond Tires” innovation challenge. As part of the challenge, the two companies will sponsor a hackathon-style contest to identify innovative ideas related to future transportation.

Graduate design and business students from across the United States who wish to participate in the Goodyear Innovation Challenge can submit a business case by the deadline of October 12 with their very own take on an innovative solution to the challenges we face in the field of transportation. The key question that is a part of the challenge is, “How does Goodyear make a play beyond tires?”. Those who submit brilliant ideas will be invited to participate in a two-day event at the university’s Larry Sears and Sally Zlotnick Sears thinkbox, a world-class center for innovation and entrepreneurship.

Goodyear has already ventured well beyond tires after realizing the fast pace at which mobility was changing, especially in urban areas. The company’s strong research team comprising engineers, designers and data scientists are hard at work at its innovation labs spread across Shanghai, Akron, Luxembourg and San Francisco, exploring the viability of different solutions. This contest for graduate students will give further impetus to the research by serving as an incentive for brilliant young people to venture into the world of future mobility.

Of the students who submit business ideas, five teams will be shortlisted to compete in the hackathon in Cleveland which will be held from November 8-9 in Cleveland. At the event, students will be asked to bring along physical prototypes and basic calculations regarding the viability of a business model to make their ideas a reality.
The winners of the first, second and third prizes will get cash prizes of USD 5000 , 3000 and 2000 respectively. They will be carefully selected on the basis of predetermined criteria by a jury of Goodyear leaders and digital innovation scholars.