Bridgestone Mobility Solutions joins leading open innovation platform STARTUP AUTOBAHN to develop market-ready solutions

Bridgestone Mobility Solutions, Bridgestone EMIA’s business unit focused on developing and launching data-driven fleet, tyre and mobility solutions, has partnered with STARTUP AUTOBAHN, the mobility-focused innovation network moderated by Silicon Valley global open innovation platform, Plug and Play Tech Center.

As the leading worldwide open innovation platform, STARTUP AUTOBAHN brings industry-leading companies and startups together to identify new ideas and develop cutting-edge technologies in the mobility sector. With a network of more than 30,000 startups and around 30 corporate partners, the Stuttgart-based platform is accelerating innovation by providing workshops, events, business development and investment opportunities.

“Partnering with STARTUP AUTOBAHN is an important step in our strategy to drive continuous innovation and business progress”, says Jan-Maarten de Vries, CEO of Bridgestone Mobility Solutions. “Joining this high-quality network of pioneers, entrepreneurs and innovative thinkers, we are looking forward to jointly working on new ideas and technologies that will contribute to a safer, more efficient and sustainable future.”

Bridgestone Mobility Solutions supports and accelerates the digital transformation of Bridgestone to be a sustainable solutions company, helping customers and partners take advantage of the shift towards data-based insight, convenience, and maximum efficiency. The Bridgestone EMIA business unit serves a wide range of the digital mobility solutions’ portfolio of the company, including Europe’s leading fleet management solution WEBFLEET.

“We are extremely happy to welcome Bridgestone Mobility Solutions to our global network,” says Sascha Karimpour, Managing Director at Plug & Play Germany and a co-initiator of STARTUP AUTOBAHN. “Bridgestone, known as one of the leading tyre and rubber companies worldwide, is accelerating its digital solutions business which fits perfectly with STARTUP AUTOBAHN’s end-to-end value chain of mobility partners. Their diverse portfolio in fleet, tyre and data solutions will bring new opportunities and great value to our platform.”

As a new ‘anchor partner’ of the STARTUP AUTOBAHN platform, experts across Bridgestone Mobility Solutions innovation team will scout relevant startups across the network, focused on different innovation areas such as electric mobility, smart city solutions and smart tyre technologies. The goal is to identify joint value propositions, work on pilot projects and develop them into market-ready solutions which add value for customers and society.

“The Mobility sector is going through massive transformation and innovation is a critical piece of our strategy towards sustainable growth”, states Franck Leveque, Vice President Strategy & Incubation at Bridgestone Mobility Solutions. “Engaging in STARTUP AUTOBAHN’s open innovation platform not only allows us to support startups and explore new and disruptive models in the mobility eco-system, but also offers a unique opportunity to establish an ongoing dialogue with a network of interesting and relevant industry partners.”

Media information: Liesbeth Denys, Director Public Affairs and Communications EMIA: +32 478 78 26 22

About Bridgestone in Europe, Russia, Middle East, India, and Africa:

Bridgestone in Europe, Russia, Middle East, India, and Africa (Bridgestone EMIA) is the regional Strategic Business Unit of Bridgestone Corporation, a global leader in tyres and rubber building on its expertise to provide solutions for safe and sustainable mobility. Headquartered in Zaventem (Belgium), Bridgestone EMIA employs more than 20,000 people and conducts business in 40 countries across the region. Bridgestone offers a diverse product portfolio of premium tyres and advanced solutions, backed by innovative technologies, improving the way people around the world move, live, work and play. 

For more information about Bridgestone in EMIA, please visit bridgestone-emia.com and press.bridgestone-emia.com. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and LinkedIn.

About STARTUP AUTOBAHN

STARTUP AUTOBAHN powered by Plug and Play is an open innovation platform that provides an interface between innovative tech companies and industry-leading corporations in Stuttgart. The basis of the program is the partnership that develops between startups and the corporate business units. The two entities hold an equal footing from the get-go: together they evaluate the potential for a joint venture, move forward to pilot the technology, and work to achieve the ultimate goal – a successful production-ready implementation. STARTUP AUTOBAHN powered by Plug and Play moderates a community for collaboration.