AKRON, Ohio — Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co. recently received the 2008 Award for Industrial Innovation from the Luxembourg Business Federation (FEDIL). The company was honored for its Goodyear OptiGrip tire with SmartWear Technology.
The OptiGrip tire, developed at Goodyear’s Luxembourg Technical Center, was designed with SmartWear Technology to provide European motorists with exceptional wet grip and to resist aquaplaning throughout the tire’s 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."
In an effort to encourage creativity and innovation, FEDIL introduced the Award for Industrial Innovation in 1983. The award is bestowed every two years.
