AKRON (May 4, 2001) — Goodyear Chairman Samir Gibara is urging tire manufacturing companies to make their research and development resources available to joint ventures in order to increase the speed of technological advancements in the industry.
Speaking May 3 at the spring symposium of the Akron Rubber Group, Mr. Gibara said industry improvements in tire safety, performance and durability have come through internal R&D efforts, slowing the pace of developments compared to other markets.
"Joint ventures with partners from within and outside of our industry can promote cross-fertilization across multicultural lines, allowing technological advancement to occur much faster," he said. Although they should work together, the Goodyear chairman emphasized that each company needs to maintain its own proprietary R&D investments and discoveries and protect intellectual property through patents and trademark secrets.