AKRON, Ohio, Sept. 19, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company (NASDAQ: GT), in collaboration with the Weatherhead School of Management at Case Western Reserve University, in Cleveland, Ohio, is once again sponsoring a business design and innovation competition to uncover future mobility solutions in an emerging world of shared vehicle usage.

In its second year, the Goodyear Innovation Challenge invites teams of four to five business school graduate students to submit a business case by October 16 in response to the challenge, for the chance to compete in a two-day hackathon at the university's Larry Sears and Sally Zlotnick Sears think[box], a world-class center for innovation and entrepreneurship.

In the coming age of shared vehicles, experts believe individual consumer vehicle use will grow from the current 6 percent to 60 percent. It is expected that cars used for shared mobility purposes will lead to more miles and shorter lifespans for vehicles, and the increased rate of usage will amplify demand for high-technology advances.

"Goodyear is very active in developing innovations that match the pace of technical change in the transportation industry," said Christopher Helsel, Goodyear vice president and chief technology officer. "Building on last year's success, this competition challenges some of the best young minds to mirror that kind of future-state thinking."

Five team proposals will be selected to participate in the November 16-17 hackathon in Cleveland, where students will be asked to design a service by validating user needs, brainstorming concepts, prototyping the best fit, and developing "back of the envelope" business model calculations.

"We are delighted to work with Goodyear again this year to host the Goodyear Innovation Challenge. At the Weatherhead School, we emphasize the importance of understanding social implications of disruptive technology in all sectors of the economy," said Case Western Reserve University design and innovation Professor Youngjin Yoo. "The sharing economy is a perfect example of such combinations where digital technology innovation can potentially disrupt the existing industry, while advancing sustainability through shared consumption of resources. Thinking about the future of tires when more people share their cars, together with the rapid development of digital technologies, such as Blockchain and big data, is a great way to inspire our students."

A jury of Goodyear leaders and Weatherhead professors will select the first-, second- and third-place winners for awards of $5,000, $3,000 and $2,000, respectively.

For more information, including rules and how to submit a team proposal, visit  https://design.case.edu/.

About Goodyear

Goodyear is one of the world's largest tire companies. It employs about 65,000 people and manufactures its products in 47 facilities in 21 countries around the world. Its two Innovation Centers in Akron, Ohio and Colmar-Berg, Luxembourg strive to develop state-of-the-art products and services that set the technology and performance standard for the industry. For more information about Goodyear and its products, go to www.goodyear.com/corporate. 

About Case Western Reserve University

Case Western Reserve University is one of the country's leading private research institutions. Located in Cleveland, it offers a unique combination of forward-thinking educational opportunities in an inspiring cultural setting; leading-edge faculty engage in teaching and research in a collaborative, hands-on environment; and nationally recognized programs that include arts and sciences, dental medicine, engineering, law, management, medicine, nursing and social work. About 5,100 undergraduate and 6,200 graduate students comprise the student body. Visit case.edu to see how Case Western Reserve thinks beyond the possible.

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SOURCE The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company