Goodyear opens office in Silicon Valley

Goodyear has opened its first office in the Silicon Valley in a bid to develop relations with automakers, suppliers and mobility-related startups working on the next generations of vehicles and service models.

According to the company, Goodyear’s initial focus areas for its Silicon Valley office are to “optimize tyres and service solutions for autonomous vehicles and ride sharing fleets; to utilize tyre and vehicle data to plan for tyre replacement and service; and to connect with leaders in the automotive industry to accelerate its own innovation platforms.”

“People don’t immediately associate tyres with the digital transformation in the automotive industry,” said Chris Helsel, Goodyear’s chief technology officer. “But we see an unprecedented opportunity for tyre electronics and information systems to improve vehicle performance, safety and, ultimately, the consumer experience.”

The new Goodyear office is located in Sunnyvale, California, at the Plug and Play Tech Center, the world’s largest global technology accelerator and venture fund. Goodyear is a founding member of Plug and Play’s mobility platform, launched in 2016.

“Our goal is to build smarter, connected products and services for future generations of vehicles and business models,” said Helsel. “We are open for business in the Silicon Valley to connect with the best and brightest thinkers around the future of mobility.”