Ten more years – Bridgestone renews World Solar Challenge partnership

Since 2013, Bridgestone has lent its name to the world’s foremost solar car race. Participants travel to Australia every two years for the Bridgestone World Solar Challenge (BWSC), with this year’s event attracting 48 teams. The 3,000-kilometre (1,860mile) race from Darwin to Adelaide in Australia ended on 20 October, and that day Bridgestone committed itself to another decade of support.

Bridgestone announced its intent to continue as title sponsor at a ceremony held last Sunday. The partnership is based on an agreement with the Tourism Bureau of the South Australian Government, host of the BWSC.

“It is our great pleasure working with so many talented, creative and inspiring teams and individuals, who stand ready to develop the next generation of mobility solution,” said Masaaki Tsuya, chairman of the board, chief executive officer and representative executive officer of Bridgestone Corporation. “Bridgestone just signed a ten-year extension of sponsorship agreement today. For another decade, we will continue our journey of ‘Dream Bigger’ and ‘Go Farther’. Let’s keep on dreaming bigger, going farther and developing next mobility solution for our own future.”

David Ridgway, South Australia’s Minister for Trade, Tourism and Investment, welcomed the long-term investment, thanking Bridgestone for its environmental leadership and embracing its responsibility to future generations. “A partnership like this, not only secures the future of the world’s largest, most respected solar challenge, it provides a proving ground for renewable technology and sustainable innovation, here in South Australia and around the world. The BWSC delivers millions of dollars into Australia’s visitor economy, with more than AU$11.9 million injected nationally and the equivalent of 102 full-time jobs created in 2017.”

In addition to supporting the competition as a title sponsor, Bridgestone will continue to supply ‘Ecopia with ologic’ tyres to participating teams.