Bridgestone honoured with VW Group award for Innovation & Technology
Matthias Müller (l) and Francisco Javier Garcia Sanz (r) present Bridgestone’s Volkswagen Group Award to Paolo Ferrari
From the 19 awards given at the 15th edition of the Volkswagen Group Awards on 28 June, seven VW Group suppliers received a Volkswagen Group Award in the category of Innovation & Technology. This select group included Bridgestone. Matthias Müller, chief executive officer of Volkswagen Aktiengesellschaft, and Dr Francisco Javier Garcia Sanz, Group Board of Management member with responsibility for Procurement, presented the tyre maker’s award to Paolo Ferrari, chief executive officer and president of Bridgestone EMEA.
At the award ceremony Garcia Sanz praised all the winners, saying: “On behalf of the Volkswagen Group, I would like to thank you and especially your employees for your commitment and performance last year.” Müller underlined that e-mobility and battery technology, autonomous driving, digitalisation throughout the value chain, and new mobility services are not passing trends: “That is the future of our industry – our common future. Thank you for your willingness to explore new pathways with us.”
Commenting on receipt of the award, Paolo Ferrari said: “Bridgestone teams worldwide are honoured by this prestigious award for Innovation & Technology. Innovation is about change and every change that demands a significant technology upgrade is for us, leaders in the industry, an opportunity – so we are going to ride this wave, anticipate this wave, and together with partners like the Volkswagen Group we can stay ahead of the technology curve.”
Another feather in Bridgestone’s supplier cap is its membership of VW’s FAST, or Future Automotive Supply Tracks, initiative. FAST was started in 2015 and, in the vehicle manufacturer’s own words, is “how the Volkswagen Group will intensify collaboration with its suppliers.” The initiative recognises a small circle of selected suppliers, and strategic dialogue provides these suppliers with regular access to top decision-makers in the VW Group, allowing all parties to implement innovations more efficiently and, above all, faster. Bridgestone is the only tyre company in the select list of 55 suppliers.
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