The tyre industry faces growing pressure to reduce fossil-based inputs, prompting a shift towards bio-based materials as industrial alternatives. Once a niche research area, bio-based solutions are now entering mainstream engineering as manufacturers balance performance and sustainability. This shift is clear in next-generation fillers, with companies like UPM advancing lignin-based solutions from concept to commercial validation.

Florian Diehl, Director of Sales RFF at UPM Biochemicals GmbH, explained that the company positions its BioMotion renewable functional fillers (RFF) as a new material class that addresses sustainability while delivering measurable performance gains.

NEXT-GEN FILLERS

Functional fillers are not peripheral to tyre design; they are central. Typically accounting for nearly 30 percent of a tyre’s composition, materials such as carbon black and precipitated silica have defined performance characteristics for decades. Against this entrenched backdrop, UPM’s innovation is not incremental – it is structural. “This is not a one-to-one drop-in replacement for carbon black, but rather a new material class that sits somewhere between carbon black and silica, with some properties closer to carbon black and others closer to silica,” said Diehl.

This approach is intentional. Instead of matching legacy materials, UPM expands the formulation options for tyre engineers, though this adds complexity. “You cannot just take out carbon black and put in RFF without making adjustments, because while it can replace both carbon black and silica to some extent, it requires changes in the formulation and curing system,” Diehl added.

Adoption will require iterative, collaborative development between material suppliers and tyre manufacturers.

PROOF THROUGH PARTNERSHIP

The collaboration between UPM and Nokian Tyres marks a key milestone in applying material innovation. In June 2024, they introduced the Green Step Ligna concept tyre, the first to use UPM BioMotion RFF, a fully renewable, wood-based lignin material. In this tyre, all fossil-derived carbon black in the sidewalls has been replaced by the lignin-based filler.

The concept tyre demonstrates the practical viability of lignin-based material in tyres and sets a higher benchmark for environmental responsibility in the industry.

For UPM, this collaboration is a strategic turning point. It marks the company’s entry into global tyre markets with renewable functional fillers and supports scaling its biorefinery business through proven application value.

Diehl noted that such collaborations are essential for industrial validation.

“The Nokian Tyres case is the only one we can discuss publicly, but we are working with most major tyre companies behind the scenes, even though we are not allowed to disclose their names,” he said.

PERFORMANCE STILL DOMINATES

Despite the strong sustainability narrative, Diehl was unequivocal that performance remains the primary driver of adoption. “For example, Nokian Tyres reported that when they replaced virgin carbon black in the sidewall, they observed improved rolling resistance, which is a clear performance advantage,” he said. This is consistent with early test findings, which suggest that substituting traditional fillers with RFF can enhance efficiency while reducing environmental impact.

Rolling resistance is particularly critical in electric vehicles, where it directly influences battery range. “In inner liner applications, we have seen that it improves air impermeability, meaning the tyre retains air pressure better, which is another functional benefit,” Diehl noted.

UPM’s data confirms improved air retention and efficiency as key outcomes.

The material’s lower density also reduces weight. “Compared to carbon black and silica, our material has a lower density, so you need less material, which makes the final product lighter and further supports improvements in rolling resistance,” Diehl said.

LIGNIN: UNLOCKING AN UNDERUTILISED RESOURCE

The foundation of UPM’s innovation lies in lignin, a natural polymer that has historically been undervalued. “Lignin is the second most abundant natural polymer and is present in all plants, but in the paper industry, it is typically separated and burned as an energy source rather than being used as a material,” Diehl explained.

For UPM, this represented a strategic opportunity. “As a company with deep expertise in wood handling and wood chemistry, we decided to move from fibre-based applications to the molecular level and develop biochemicals,” he said.

Through proprietary processing, lignin is transformed into a rigid particulate filler with controlled surface properties. “We developed a process that converts lignin into a particulate material that behaves like a filler, with tunable surface area and without the typical polymer characteristics,” Diehl added.

This transition – from waste stream to high-performance material – illustrates the broader industrial shift towards biomass valorisation.

SCALING FROM CONCEPT TO INDUSTRY

While the concept tyre proves technical feasibility, scaling is the next critical step. “The material is just becoming commercially available, and manufacturers prefer to test it from the final production site rather than pilot batches, so the current limitation is availability while our Leuna Biorefinery is in its start-up phase,” Diehl explained.

UPM’s Leuna biorefinery is central to addressing this. “At our biorefinery in Leuna, we will produce a total of 220,000 tonnes of biochemicals, with renewable functional fillers representing a significant share,” he said.

The facility itself represents a substantial industrial commitment, with investment exceeding EUR 1 billion and designed to convert sustainably sourced hardwood into next-generation biochemicals.

Crucially, scalability is underpinned by feedstock availability. “Lignin is already available at industrial scale in pulp and paper mills, so if the market adopts our solution, we can scale production significantly,” Diehl added.

COMPLEMENTARY MATERIAL STRATEGY

The rise of recovered carbon black (rCB) adds complexity to sustainability efforts. UPM positions its material as complementary rather than competitive. “We see our solution as complementary, meaning tyre manufacturers can use recovered carbon black alongside our renewable functional fillers to replace fossil-based carbon black,” Diehl said.

He also challenged assumptions around cost. “There is a perception that recovered carbon black is cheaper, but in some European markets, we hear that it can even be more expensive than virgin carbon black,” he noted. This suggests future tyre compounds will likely blend recycled and renewable inputs, rather than rely on a single alternative.

MARKET STRATEGY: PREMIUM FIRST

UPM’s commercial approach follows a well-established pathway for advanced materials. “As with most new materials, we expect initial adoption in premium segments before it gradually expands into the mass market, although this transition will take time,” Diehl said.

Premium manufacturers are expected to lead this transition, with emerging global players likely to follow as they move up the value chain.

ELECTRIFICATION DRIVES CHANGE

The rise of electric vehicles introduces new performance constraints. “Electrification will have a clear impact on tyre design because vehicles are becoming heavier and have higher torque, which makes wear resistance more critical,” Diehl said.

UPM is already adapting. “With our current solutions, we would not yet fully meet all requirements in such applications, which is why we are already working on a second generation that can compete more effectively,” he added.

SUSTAINABILITY

UPM’s RFF is positioned as a 100 percent renewable, CO₂-negative solution (from cradle to gate, considering the biogenic carbon and purchasing 100 percent green electricity), contributing to reduced reliance on fossil-based materials. However, Diehl is candid about market realities. “A few years ago, sustainability was the dominant driver, but today the focus has shifted towards combining sustainability with performance,” he said. “The willingness to pay higher prices is currently limited, which is a challenge, even though we believe our material delivers additional value,” he added.

REGULATION NOT ENOUGH

“There are discussions around end-of-life tyre regulations that could include bio-based quotas, which would support solutions like ours,” Diehl said. Yet he remains cautious. “Ultimately, the product must deliver performance, because regulations can change and cannot be relied upon as the only factor,” he added.

“We designed our processes so that the material can be handled and dispersed in a similar way to traditional carbon black and silica,” Diehl said. “When tyres containing our material are recycled, the filler will end up in pyrolysis oil, similar to natural rubber,” he added.

MEASURED TRANSFORMATION

UPM’s strategy focuses on systematic integration: introducing a new material class, validating it through partnerships and scaling it through industrial infrastructure. The Nokian Tyres concept tyre offers a tangible glimpse of what that future may look like: a tyre in which fossil-derived fillers are partially or fully replaced by renewable alternatives, without compromising performance. As Diehl concluded, “we are convinced the product delivers the performance and provides additional value, and will succeed in the market.”

MICHELIN ResiCare, a specialist in renewable and high-performance chemical solutions, has entered into a distribution partnership with IMCD Europe, a major international distributor of speciality chemicals. The agreement centres on the European supply of 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (5-HMF), a bio-sourced compound produced at the company's Isère-based industrial facility in Péage-de-Roussillon.

Under the new arrangement, IMCD Europe will handle distribution across the continent while MICHELIN ResiCare maintains direct engagement with its key strategic accounts. The collaboration aims to significantly widen the molecule's availability to European manufacturers through an optimised logistics framework and localised technical support, thereby addressing rapidly growing demand within the materials and formulation chemical sectors.

The French production site, scheduled to begin operations in early 2027, will have an initial annual capacity of 3,000 metric tonnes. This domestic manufacturing capability represents a critical step in securing European access to a molecule deemed strategically important for the region's chemical industry, reducing reliance on external supply sources.

IMCD will contribute its technical expertise, market knowledge and pan-European distribution network to facilitate the integration of 5-HMF into new applications. The company's established footprint in polymers, advanced materials and speciality formulations positions it to provide developmental support to manufacturers exploring alternatives to fossil-derived intermediates. MICHELIN ResiCare has already spent two years assisting major industry players with application evaluations, and the partnership is expected to expand these efforts across a broader customer base.

Derived from fructose through non-toxic green chemistry and already REACH-registered, 5-HMF serves as a versatile building block for low-environmental-impact resins and can replace conventional petroleum-based ingredients across diverse industries including agriculture, cosmetics, construction, transport, aeronautics and electronics. The collaboration reinforces MICHELIN ResiCare's commitment to renewable resources and sustainable material development while aligning with IMCD's dedication to advancing innovation in greener chemistry solutions.

Laurent Lemonnier, CEO, MICHELIN ResiCare, said, “This partnership with IMCD represents a major step forward in our desire to popularise the use of 5-HMF and to support the transition to a more responsible chemistry. With its technical expertise, its capacity to support customers and its European location, IMCD is the perfect partner to speed up the distribution of this molecule of the future.”

Pirelli, Pyrum, Synthos and BASF have launched a European tyre-to-tyre recycling initiative aimed at increasing the use of recycled materials from end-of-life and scrap tyres in the manufacture of new tyres. The project, coordinated by Pirelli, is designed to establish an industrial ecosystem that supports a circular economy while reducing reliance on virgin raw materials.

The initiative uses end-of-life tyres collected across Germany from selected Driver retail outlets and motorsport activities, together with scrap tyres from Pirelli's Breuberg manufacturing plant. These materials are processed into secondary raw materials, including synthetic rubber, certified under the ISCC PLUS scheme to ensure traceability throughout the value chain before being reintroduced into the production of new Pirelli tyres.

Under the process, Pyrum converts end-of-life and scrap tyres through pyrolysis into recovered carbon black (rCB) and tyre pyrolysis oil (TPO). The recovered carbon black is upgraded and used in Pirelli's European tyre production, replacing part of the virgin carbon black requirement.

The tyre pyrolysis oil is supplied to BASF, where it is co-fed with fossil-based feedstock in the production of chemicals including butadiene and styrene. Using a mass balance approach, the recycled content is allocated to ISCC PLUS-certified Ccycled® products. Synthos then uses these materials to manufacture ISCC PLUS-certified synthetic rubber for high-performance tyre applications, which is supplied back to Pirelli, completing the material loop.

The companies said the project demonstrates that large-scale product circularity requires collaboration across the value chain rather than action by a single company. The partnership combines material science, certified processes and industrial capabilities to recover, process and reuse materials within a structured system.

According to the companies, the project represents the most comprehensive application of a tyre-to-tyre circular model in Europe to date, showing how end-of-life tyres can be transformed into raw materials for new tyre production through a traceable industrial process.

The Association of Natural Rubber Producing Countries (ANRPC) confirmed the participation of its Secretary-General, Dr Suttipong Angthong, in a high-level dialogue held on 9 July 2026. The engagement took place during the official visit of Thailand's Prime Minister, His Excellency Anutin Charnvirakul, to Malaysia. Dr Angthong joined a prominent assembly that included the Prime Minister, Thailand's Deputy Prime Minister and various cabinet delegates from both nations.

The meeting also brought together representatives from international intergovernmental bodies and leading corporate figures from Thai and Malaysian industries. Given that both Thailand and Malaysia are founding members of the ANRPC and serve as cornerstones of the global natural rubber market, the session was deemed a crucial venue for harmonising regional strategies. It offered the ANRPC a platform to elevate sector-specific priorities within top-tier governmental discussions.

Through the facilitation of productive exchanges between policymakers and private-sector leaders, the ANRPC continues to foster cross-border collaboration, reinforce the stability of supply chains and advance sustainable growth initiatives. The organisation has reiterated its steadfast dedication to supporting its member states with professionalism and collaborative effort, aiming to secure the long-term vitality and resilience of the natural rubber industry across the region.