24MBP Business Shaping Scenario: Create New Business Sowing Good Seeds for the Future

Exploratory Business: Sowing New Seeds
Bridgestone E8 Commitment

EnergyEcology

EaseEmpowerment

In the exploratory business, which we have positioned as sowing new seeds for future sustainable growth, we start byproviding social value with sustainability at the core. In the 21MBP, we first focused on exploration of technology. In the 24MBP,
we promote the exploration of business models for the next stage, with co-creation as its axis.

21MBP

24MBP

27MBP

“Sowing new seeds” – Providing social value & sustainability at the core –Exploretechnologies(small & medium scale)

Explore business model – Demonstration /small-scale commercialization phase -No air inflation required “Next-generation tire”

Demonstration phase
Contribute to build Bridgestone’s mobility ecosystem
Various mobility-related tools• Autonomous driving system• Advanced digital sensor development, etc.

Demonstration phase

Explore tocommercialize

Contribute to evolution of sustainability
business model• Enhance & diversify renewable resources- Guayule (mainly in the U.S.)• “Renew” tires to raw material- Recycle (Japan and U.S)

GuayuleDemonstration phase
New challenge leveraging corecompetencies
Soft-robotics

Small-scalecommercialization phase

Soft-robotics

Guayule Business: Diversification of Natural
Rubber Sources

Recycle Business: “Renew” Tires toRaw Material

In the U.S., we are promoting the guayule business toIn the recycle business, which “renews” tires to raw material,

diversify natural rubber sources, a renewable material,

we are promoting co-creation with ENEOS Corporation underthrough co-creation and open innovation with the U.S.

the “Green Innovation Fund Project” of the New Energy andDepartment of Energy, local NGOs, and external partners.

Industrial Technology Development Organization (NEDO), in

Unlike the para rubber tree, the cultivation of which isJapan. We have been promoting elemental technologies

geographically concentrated and is susceptible to diseasedevelopment since 2021, and began recycle pyrolysis tests

and climate change, guayule can be grown in arid regions,of end-of-life tires in 2023. During the 24MBP, toward its

making it a viable alternative to natural rubber. Cultivating

commercialization we are promoting technology

guayule can also contribute to the greening of these arid

verification and also start studying the construction of a pilotregions. Development of guayule-derived tires, which wasdemonstration plant. In addition, we continue initiatives

studied in the past in Firestone, was resumed in earnest in

for recycling in the U.S. and for mining tires as well.

2012. In 2022, we supplied race tires made from guayulederived natural rubber at the NTT INDYCAR® SERIES, anddemonstrated their performance. We will continue to takeadvantage of the NTT INDYCAR® SERIES under a conceptof “mobile laboratory” to explore technologies forcommercialization.
Demonstration machine (Kodaira, Tokyo)
Recovered carbon black (left) andtire-derived oil (right)

70*O btained as a result of work (JPNP21021)
commissioned by the New Energy andIndustrial Technology Development
Organization (NEDO).

Soft-robotics: A New Challenge Leveraging
Bridgestone’s Core Competencies
In the soft-robotics business, which has become a corporate
venture “Bridgestone Softrobotics Ventures” asopportunities for diverse talent, especially for young talent,to shine and place to demonstrate entrepreneurship, weare exploring business model based on co-creation with awide range of partners to “realize a future where humanand robot co-exist” under the slogan “Soften the Future”.
Soft-robotics is soft robot which utilizes artificial rubber
muscles that leverage the know-how gained from thedevelopment and production of tires and hoses and aredesigned to work alongside humans. The “TETOTE” soft
robotic hand, incorporating AI software from our partner,
Ascent Robotics Corporation, makes piece-picking possible,
successfully grabbing a variety of objects. “TETOTE” wasawarded as the “2023 Good Design Award” by the Japan
Institute of Design Promotion, and the concept model ofthe soft robotic hand won the “iF Gold Award” at theinternationally prestigious “iF Design Award 2023”. Inaddition, we are taking on new challenges such as presenting“umaru,” a prototype of “robots that immerse your body andmove your mind,” at the International Robot Exhibition 2023.
In the 24MBP, we will continue to evolve initiatives for thenext phase of small-scale commercialization.

“Next-Generation Tire” that doesn’t Need AirFilling: AirFree—Supporting Local Community—“umaru,” A Prototype of “Robots that Immerse Your Body and Move Your Mind”
at International Robot Exhibition 2023

simulation technology and tire technology, we have evolved
it to new material and structure. In 2023, we started ademonstration experiment for ultra small EVs throughAs part of our efforts to sow new seeds in tires, we create

co-creation with Idemitsu Kosan. In addition, from 2024,

value by evolving the AirFree Concept, into “AirFree”, a

we start demonstration experiments on public roads in the“next-generation tire” that doesn’t need air-filling, with avicinity of Bridgestone Innovation Park in Kodaira, Tokyo.

view to social implementation. Bridgestone has been

In the future, by pairing AirFree with automated driving,uniquely developing the AirFree Concept since 2008, valuingwhere tires become more important, we aim to solve

sustainability such as leveraging materials that can be easily

mobility issues in local communities due to an aging

recycled, with our core competencies – resin material

population, rural depopulation, and limitations ontechnology leveraging “mastering rubber” and themovement caused by labor shortages.

technology of “mastering road contact”. Leveraging digital
Journey to Develop AirFreeAdapt to recycling

2008–
1st generation,“safety and peaceof mind”

Easy-to-recycle materials/retreadable material
that can easily be recycled / Adapted to retread

2013–

technology evolution: new material and structure

2nd generation, improvement in“safetyand peaceof mind” and”Passion
for Excellence"“ride comfort”

2023

3rd generation, “co-creation”
Evolve to “providing social value”“Continue to support the mobility of people and goods”

2024

Start of demonstration experiment on public roads

Respond to various needs for the mobility ofpeople & goods and Take on the challengeof diversifying the mobility to support:• AirFree Concept for bicycles• AirFree Concept for walking-area BEVs
(Used in the Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics Games)

24MBP: Evolve from a concept to“AirFree” looking
ahead to social implementation

Bridgestone 3.0 Journey 2024 Integrated Report71

24MBP Business Shaping Scenario: Create New Business Sowing Good Seeds for the Future

Expanding Our Mission: From Local
Communities to Outer Space
Research and Development of Lunar Rover Tireis the surface of the moon.
In April 2024, we exhibited a second generation tireconcept model for the first time at our booth within the“Japan’s Space Industry” pavilion organized by the JapanWe leveraged the technology cultivated through “AirFree”

Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) at the 39th Spacefor the research and development of lunar rover tires andSymposium, the largest space-related symposium in thedeveloped a new second-generation tire.

U.S., held in Colorado Springs, U.S.. By demonstrating

In line with Bridgestone’s fundamental principle of “Tires

Bridgestone’s new challenge and pursuit of excellence tocarry life,” we are working on research and development ofour partners, we gain their empathy to expand our space

lunar rover tires from 2019. Bridgestone, which has known

business network and create opportunities for co-creation

the roads around the world and has supported the evolution

with various partners in Japan and overseas.

of all forms of mobility on Earth, now supports theCurrently, a lunar rover equipped with Bridgestone tires isevolution of space mobility from the ground up to the roads

expected to start operation on the moon after 2031, which isof outer space as the next stage. Bridgestone’s technology

the 100th anniversary of Bridgestone. We are enhancing ourinnovations, which continue to support the evolution oftechnology innovation, and aiming to keep empowering themobility, has been refined in “extreme” environments such

mobility of people and goods with safety and peace of mind

as motorsports. Through this project, we aim to become

from the ground up toward our 100th anniversary.

essential to the future of mobility by taking on the challengeof the new “extreme” environment of human activity, that

Support mobility in local communities through safety, peace ofmind and sustainable technologies
Safe and peace of mind mobility in local communities by Empowering Blue
Establishing technologies for social implementation andexploring business models-creating a mobility system
Co-creating with partners: small mobility x autonomous driving systems

Expanding missions from community to space

Providing safety and peace of mind in extreme environments and“supporting space exploration with the dreams of humanity on our shoulders”
Bridgestone, which has known the way of the world and supported the evolution of
all kinds of mobility on Earth contributed to development of human beings byknowing the way of space and supporting the evolution of space mobility

Co-creating with various partners in the space business network
Contributing to international missions ― Promoting technology exploration ―“Tires Carry Life”: Supporting All Forms of Mobility, from Local Communities toOuter Space, with Safety and Peace of Mind
AirFree is a next-generation tire that does not need air-filling. We are working with membersof various teams across organizational boundaries to establish technologies and explore
business models with a view toward social implementation around 2026. AirFree technology isalso leveraged in tires for lunar terrain vehicles. Expanding our mission from serving the local
community to the extreme environment of outer space, Bridgestone will continue to take onchallenges in order to be essential to the future of mobility.

Narumi Kawada
Global OE Strategy & New Mobility Business Development Department72