One of the transportation industry’s longest-running powerhouses is going digital.
Bridgestone Corp. (OCTUS: BRDCY), known as the world’s largest producer of tires, has announced it will be using Amazon Web Services to build a marketplace for last-mile services and fleet solutions.
The company said it will be working with AWS’ ProServe and AWS Marketplace teams, using machine learning, business intelligence services and Internet of Things technology to create a one-stop shop for fleet managers in need of real-time insights.
“AWS has helped strengthen and modernize our Americas business for several years and we’re excited to grow our relationship across global operations,” said Paolo Ferrari, joint global chief operating officer at Bridgestone and president and CEO of Bridgestone Americas. “Using AWS platforms, we will transform the way we provide services and solutions to our customers to enhance the digital customer experience Bridgestone offers while also modernizing our business operations and improving data analytics capabilities.”
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Bridgestone and AWS have worked together for several years, but Monday’s announcement signaled a tightening of their relationship. The tire manufacturer said it would provide its entire IT organization in the Americas region with access to training and resources from AWS. Over the next five years, it plans to educate them on AWS technologies that will boost the speed of cloud adoption.
“With Bridgestone’s extensive domain expertise and AWS’ cloud leadership, we’re expanding our impact across the automotive landscape and unlocking new industry solutions to make the mobility of the future a reality today,” said Uwem Ukpong, vice president of global services at AWS.
Additionally, Bridgestone is moving its North American data centers onto the AWS platform. The migration will reduce the company’s energy usage and hardware asset waste, helping it meet its goal of carbon neutrality by 2050. It added that the ongoing partnership will “focus future efforts on sustainability innovations,” like making tires from 100% renewable resources.
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Outside of its collaboration with AWS, Bridgestone recently bolstered a long-running sustainability initiative. Since 2012, the firm has been working to commercialize guayule, a desert shrub used in the production of natural rubber. It invested $42 million in the initiative this week, bringing its total investment to over $100 million over the past decade.
The company last week also poured $550 million into the expansion of its flagship truck and bus radial tire plant. The Tennessee facility deploys advanced technologies like RFID tags, tire-mounted sensors and artificial intelligence to boost the efficiency and sustainability of its operations. The investment will expand the facility’s footprint by 850,000 square feet.
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