The 12th Michelin Challenge Bibendum, an innovative “think & action tank” promoting clean, safe, connected, accessible, and affordable mobility, will be held in Chengdu, China from 11th to 15th this November. It was announced at a joint press conference by Michelin Group and the Chengdu municipal government.

Following the theme of “Innovation in Mobility at the Heart of Growth & Urban Well-being,” the world summit will bring together users, providers, and decision-makers to make a difference in sustainable mobility.

“The Michelin Challenge Bibendum aims to develop a shared vision of tomorrow’s sustainable mobility,” said Mr. Patrick Oliva, Senior Vice President, Strategic Anticipation and Sustainable Development, Michelin Group and Chairman of the Michelin Challenge Bibendum. “We strongly believe that, in addition to creating new business opportunities, sustainable mobility will benefit both individuals and society as a whole.”

Initiated by Michelin in 1998, the Michelin Challenge Bidendum is the only event that brings together all transportation stakeholders, including users, manufacturers, suppliers, public and private operators, universities, energy suppliers, research institutes, political leaders, and NGOs to discuss the issues involved in the challenges of sustainable mobility.

“It will be the third time China gets to hold the Michelin Challenge Bibendum. And Chengdu is the first western city in China to host the event which made a hit in Shanghai twice in 2004 and 2007”added Mr. Philippe Verneuil, President of Michelin China.

The five-day event will mainly take place at the Chengdu International Intangible Culture Heritage Exposition Park, which covers an area of more than 1.1 million square meters.

Chengdu has long been known as “the Land of Abundance” with over 14 million inhabitants and 4,000 years of history. Benefiting from the Chinese government’s “Go West” initiative, the capital city of Sichuan Province combines an attention to environmental and historical protection with a thriving economy, attracting many major Chinese and international companies. It is the trade, finance, logistics, and science and technology center of western China. The city, whose automotive industry output surged over 40% last year, is also the nation’s third-largest automobile producer and the biggest in the western region.

More than a simple forum, the Michelin Challenge Bibendum has also evolved into a fully-fledged “world lab of tomorrow’s mobility,” featuring an original format widely hailed by participants. The global event not only demonstrates a number of international initiatives aiming to design tomorrow’s mobility, but also integrates technical tests and rallies, rides and drives, and demos with exhibitions and prospective workshops, as well as encounters with students and VIP speakers.

In 2014, the Michelin Challenge Bibendum will deliver tangible and deployable solutions to policy-makers in targeted areas including, “Winning Technologies,” “Targeted Public Policies,” “New Economic Tools,” “Innovative Eco-systems”, etc. With the high development potential of multi-modal mobility, the Michelin Challenge Bibendum has also expanded its focus this year to become a “think & action tank” supporting sustainable mobility.