Sustainability innovation challenge terms & conditions

Introduction

About the Company

Nokian Tyres designs tires for passenger cars, trucks, and heavy machinery and our Vianor chain provides tire and car services. In 2020, the company’s net sales were EUR 1.3 billion and it employed some 4,600 people. Nokian Tyres is listed on Nasdaq Helsinki.

About the challenge

Nokian Tyres is on a mission to increase the share of either recycled or renewable raw materials in our tires to 50% as well as reducing our CO₂ emissions from raw materials and tires by 25% by the 2030.

To find innovative ideas and solutions from across the world and different industries to achieve this goal, Nokian Tyres is hosting an open innovation Challenge for university or applied science university students, academics, startups and companies to participate in.

The winner of the Challenge will receive 10 000 euros and the opportunity to explore a business or development partnership together with Nokian Tyres.

Overview of the challenge

What is to be achieved

The challenge sets out to find sustainability innovations that can be implemented in Nokian Tyres’ products. The innovation areas consist of the following subjects but are not limited to them: reducing CO₂ emissions from tire use or manufacturing, replacing non-renewable raw materials (such as fossil based polymer and filler materials) with recycled or renewable materials, controlling tire wear and digital technologies.

Objective

The objective is to find a solution that can be commercialized within Nokian Tyres operations that would increase the overall sustainability. The concept can come from a variety of industries as long as it can be implemented by Nokian Tyres.

How to enter and next steps

How to enter

You enter the Challenge by filling out the Entry form. By filling out the Entry form your Team agrees to the rules of the Challenge and the terms and conditions that apply.

Each Team will be asked to choose a Contact person for the Team (if you are the only Team member for your Entry it will automatically be you). The Contact person should be able to answer inquiries from Nokian Tyres within 2 business days if any questions regarding your Entry arises.

The Entry must be submitted within the given time and late submissions will not be evaluated. No further action is required from your Team after that, but please keep your calendar open in case you are invited to the Final Event.

Eligibility

Who can participate

The Challenge is open for university or applied science university students, academics, startups and companies. Any Team that has the skills, resources or knowledge to participate in the Challenge is eligible to do so.

You enter the Challenge as a Team. The Team may consist of one person or a group, such as a startup/company. For the Final Event only maximum of two (2) persons from the Team will be invited to join the event, including your Contact person for your Team.

Teams are allowed to submit multiple Entries to the Challenge.

Limitations to participation

All Team members must be over 18 years of age.

The Team members cannot be employees of Nokian Tyres plc or its group companies.

Challenge timeline

The Challenge will be open for Entries between the time of 2nd of February 2022 14:00 and 9th of March 2022 23:59 EET. Submissions will then enter the evaluation phase which will last until the 16th of March 2022. Contact persons will be notified by Nokian Tyres no later than 21st of March 2022 regarding status of the Entry in the Challenge.

The Final Event is scheduled to be held in Ivalo, Finland on the 7th of April.

The Final event

The Final Event will be held in Ivalo, Finland. When a Team is chosen to the Final, transportation (including flights) and accommodation will be imbursed by Nokian Tyres for one (1) person per Team according to Nokian Tyres’ travel policy.

The Final Event will include a pitch in front of the grand jury after which a Q&A session will take place.

When chosen for the Final Event one (1) member from each Team will be given the opportunity to pitch their Challenge Entry in a vehicle moving at great speed in the Nokian Tyres White Hell testing facility above the Arctic Circle in Finland.

Prize

The winner Team of the Challenge will receive ten thousand (10 000) euros and the opportunity to explore a business or development partnership together with Nokian Tyres.

Nokian Tyres holds the right to start a partnership with other Teams other than the winner if Nokian Tyres deems the Entries feasible.

The winner of the challenge will be solely responsible for any local, country or any other applicable taxes, and any other costs, expenses, and fees in connection with receiving prizes or prize money.

Intellectual property RIGHTS

The Team’s Entry must be original work of the Team and according to the Team’s best knowledge (i) no third parties shall hold any rights to the Entry; (ii) they have all the rights and are eligible to use any and all materials related to or incorporated in the Entry; and (iii) the idea (or any essential parts of it) of the Entry has not been commercialized or sold to anyone.

Each Team will own the intellectual property rights in their Entry and Nokian Tyres does not claim any rights of ownership in the technology that is developed or used by the Teams in respect of their Entry. Nokian Tyres shall have the right to use the Entry for the duration of the Challenge for the purpose of evaluating the Entry, the feasibility of its implementation and its use as a product and/or service.

Teams should not do anything to jeopardize the confidentiality of the contents of their Entry through the use of social media or otherwise during their participation in the Challenge.

Nokian Tyres reserves an exclusive right to negotiate further collaboration and to acquire ownership and/or rights to use regarding all the Entries for a three (3) month period after the end of the Challenge (ie. from the date of choosing of the winner Team).

Personal data protection

The personal information of the members of each Team is handled according to applicable data protection laws and in accordance with Nokian Tyres’ privacy policy available at https://www.nokiantyres.com/privacy-statement/.

  • Any personal data provided by Teams will solely be used for the purposes and objectives for the Challenge and only for the duration of the Challenge.
  • Any other processing or use of personal data will be subject to a consent provided by the individual in question.

Confidentiality

Nokian Tyres maintains total confidentiality of the contents of each Teams’ Entries. However, the Teams are aware and accept that Nokian Tyres has the right to publish information regarding the finalist Teams of the Challenge.

The Teams agree to total confidentiality regarding all the information and documentation that Nokian Tyres might provide them during the Challenge.

Reservations and Limitations

Nokian Tyres reserves the right to withstand from choosing a Challenge winner if no Entry that is submitted provides solutions required for the Challenge, or to withstand from awarding the prize with no explanation or notice.

Nokian Tyres reserves the right to remove a Team from the Challenge at any time with no prior notice. Nokian Tyres reserves the right to request information or documentation to clarify and expand upon relevant aspects of submitted Entry.

Nokian Tyres reserves the right to reschedule or cancel the Challenge, or the Final Event, as it deems appropriate, e.g., if Nokian Tyres deems it is unsafe to organize the Final Event due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Liability

Nokian Tyres shall not be liable for any potential or actual loss or damage experienced by the participants or Teams originating from or relating to their participation in the Challenge.

Contact

For questions relating the Challenge please contact Teemu Soini, teemu.soini(at)nokiantyres.com.