Tyre manufacturers Michelin and Continental, together with software developer Smag, will start up Rubberway – a joint venture specialising in the development/deployment of technological solutions for mapping sustainability practices in the supply chain of natural rubber (NR).
In accordance with the Global Platform for Sustainable Natural Rubber (GPSNR), Rubberway will assess practices and risks regarding environmental issues, social affairs, and Corporate Social Responsibility governance throughout the NR industry, thus making the supply chain more transparent. Rubberway will begin its specific business by end-2019.
Michelin will provide the rights of use and exploitation, as well as its user experience of the application; Continental will also facilitate the use of the application by other tyre-/car-parts manufacturers and accelerate the rise of responsible practices in the NR industry; and Smag will share all its technological and sector-specific expertise in digital solutions for agriculture.
The NR supply chain – which includes around six million farmers, 100,000 intermediaries and over 500 processing plants – is highly complex. Its use of Rubberway, operational since 2017, is included in main production countries like Thailand, Indonesia, Nigeria, Ghana and Brazil.