Blown tires tend to make NASCAR racers a tad testy. So given that it supplies all of the tires at every track, Akron, Ohio-based Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company is on the spot every week to make sure its products hold up without any mishaps at crucial moments of competition. To meet this challenge, the company invests significant time and resources to continue designing products that provide better tread design, puncture-resistance, and longevity -- not just for NASCAR, but the general public.

Much of the needed research and development involves complex chemical analysis, and in-depth probing of manufacturing strategies. One example: The development of advanced chemical and polymer formulations -- or compounds -- which are capable of delivering the specific, desired physical properties needed to meet the demands of a new tire product. Oftentimes, the innovation for meeting these challenges comes from the brainpower and sweat equity of suppliers.

So given all of this, Goodyear recently came up with a novel way to develop new innovations in product R&D: It essentially tapped into very much in-vogue Web 2.0/social network tools to assemble fresher ideas and winning plans.

To do so, Goodyear worked with Imaginatik Idea Central, a software/professional services company based in Boston, to create what it calls an "innovation module." The innovation module paved the way for the recent launch of a "Supplier Innovation Event," in which 32 strategically picked suppliers were invited to address 17 technical challenges that Goodyear's in-house staff devised. Nearly 200 responses resulted over six weeks. Specifically, Goodyear challenged its suppliers to help extend the tire performance boundaries of low rolling resistance, and develop products with better traction on the tread design that lasted longer. This created a venue for suppliers to introduce material developments they were brewing in their own labs.

The motivation behind the project went beyond simply asking for better ways to produce products. Goodyear is ultimately seeking to shift the cultural dynamic of the supplier/buyer relationship, from one focused mainly on cost factors to that of a value-oriented, collaborative partnership to inspires innovation.

"Activating this process has enhanced the dialogue with our suppliers," says Peter Shepler, a Goodyear project leader overseeing the effort. "They've always been eager to provide value. Now, we've opened a new channel by identifying the technology challenges we face to meet business objectives. If they're able to solve a problem we face, then the push to the marketplace is strong."

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