The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co.’s OptiGrip tire with SmartWear technology has earned the company the 2008 Award for Industrial Innovation from the Luxembourg Business Federation (FEDIL).
The OptiGrip tire, developed at Goodyear's Luxembourg Technical Center, was designed with SmartWear technology to provide European motorists with optimum wet grip and aquaplaning resistance throughout its life by employing a tread surface that reveals new grooves as the tire wears down.
The award was presented at a special ceremony in Luxembourg City by Jeannot Krecke, Luxembourg's Minister of Economics, and Francois Biltgen, Luxembourg's Minister of Labor, Culture, Higher Education and Research. The award was accepted by Goodyear's Vice President of Global Product Development Joe Zekoski.
"It is a great honor for Goodyear to receive this prestigious award," said Zekoski. "I believe that Goodyear's new SmartWear technology will change the way people view tires and will create a new appreciation for the technology that is built into them."
Founded in 1918, FEDIL is comprised of more than 500 companies that share knowledge and learning concerning economic, industrial, financial and social affairs, research and development, and information technology. In an effort to encourage creativity and innovation, FEDIL introduced the Award for Industrial Innovation in 1983. The award is bestowed every two years.
