TOKYO — Bridgestone Corp. is building an "innovation park" as part of its strategy to transform into a global leader in advanced mobility and sustainability.
The project, at a group technology site in Kodaira, Japan, will include the construction of four facilities for research and development and wellness over the next four years, Bridgestone said.
The company did not disclose a budget for the project which is being built at the site of a former tire factory and current R&D center.
"Bridgestone must be ready to meet the needs of the next generation with advanced and sustainable solutions for mobility and beyond," Bridgestone Chairman and CEO Masaaki Tsuya said.
The new campus will be the "cornerstone of the company's next chapter" as it shifts focus on mobility innovations, Mr. Tsuya said.
According to Bridgestone, the innovation park is scheduled to start operation in June 2020, with further facilities being added over the next few years, including a B-Innovation center, due to open in November 2021, as an innovation and collaboration lab for joint projects with internal and external stakeholders.
Around the same time, Bridgestone will open a B-Mobility demo and testing facility for "agile product development" using advanced data-analysis capabilities.
The next generation of the company's Kodaira footprint will bring these values to life through four primary facilities, which together comprise Bridgestone Innovation Park.
The new facilities are:
• Bridgestone Innovation Gallery (currently known as Bridgestone TODAY), a museum dedicated to Bridgestone history and innovation initiatives; designed to engage customers, partners and the local community through the Bridgestone story.
• B-Innovation, the next-generation innovation and collaboration lab empowering joint creation with various internal and external stakeholders.
• B-Mobility, a demonstration and testing facility to promote agile product development; will include several courses and data analysis capabilities.
• Bridgestone AHL Arena, a barrier-free activity center providing access to sports for people of all ages and abilities; designed to promote a more diverse and inclusive society in alignment with the company's Active Healthy Lifestyle values and its Worldwide Olympic and Paralympic Partnerships. (Scheduled to open in March 2022).