Reflecting on current and future trends in the tyre industry, Andre Lanning, Global Business Director, Synthetic Rubber, Trinseo Europe GmbH, sees the need for much closer collaborations - not only between tyre companies and suppliers but among suppliers themselves. “If we really want to address the big issues in the industry, reduce rolling resistance, improve fuel efficiency, and get better at recycling and re-using materials and chemicals, we need to have a paradigm shift in how we approach innovation.”

According to Dr. Sandra Hofmann, Director, Technology & Innovation, Synthetic Rubber, Trinseo Deutschland GmbH, speed (response time to market) and sustainability are the main trends that will dominate the global tyre industry compared to other industries.

 “The tyre industry, traditionally, has been conservative on knowledge-sharing and collaborating on innovation. Going forward, collaborations are key to moving forward as the complexity in the segment we are focusing on is very high. Every stakeholder in the tyre industry is driving hard for innovations, and, on the co-suppliers’ side, we are keen on collaborations. And, of course, working together with customers is always part of the development,” said Dr. Hofmann.

In recent times, Trinseo has been focusing on close relationships with other stakeholders for developing new products. Trinseo fosters deep engagement with partners through its centralised synthetic rubber site located in Schkopau, Germany, where technology & innovation, mini-plant, pilot plant, and expanded production assets are located. To reduce product development time from lab sample to commercialisation, Trinseo started a state-of-the-art S-SBR pilot plant in Schkopau, for its synthetic rubber business, which makes it more agile and flexible than ever before in its ability to turn around S-SBR product testing. The company says the S-SBR pilot plant allows for more efficient use of Trinseo’s production facilities and helps speed up innovation in the performance tyres market. As part of its efforts, the company introduces the early development process to its customers. “We have invested substantially in R&D. In 2018, we started the pilot plant where we can make several hundred kilograms of materials, and that is enough for our development partners and customers to build a tyre already in the product development process,” said Dr. Hofmann.

Dr. Hofmann added, “The capabilities we are bringing to the table, in combination with our openness and willingness for collaborations, are major enablers towards shortening of the product development process.”

Major tyre companies are betting high on recycled and bio-mass materials, aiming to eliminate materials derived from fossil fuels, to make tyres in the future. However, the ‘industrialisation’ of recycled and bio-mass materials to obtain synthetic rubber will be a more significant threshold. “It is nice to have targets, but the main challenge is to implement these targets through technology. Making synthetic rubber from recycled and bio-mass materials will be a gradual process, and we see it as an opportunity and want to be a front runner for sustainability”, said Lanning.

Sustainability

Trinseo, according to the executive, is already contributing to tyre companies’ sustainability efforts by supplying solutions that reduce rolling resistance, CO2 emissions and improve fuel efficiency. 

“Sustainability has many dimensions. It could be recycled and bio-based materials. As a company, we are very much active in the recycling of polystyrene back into styrene monomer which can be introduced as recycled feedstock for packaging applications. As for butadiene, for a long time, it has been made of biomass like sugar and others. As a company, we are exploring sources of sustainable feedstocks, not only looking at how we can contribute to our customers’ sustainability efforts, but to the raw materials that go into our own products,” explained Dr Hofmann.

When asked about having a common platform for all stakeholders to develop products, Lanning, said “if tyre manufacturers are serious about sustainability, there needs to be closer and more open collaboration around innovation between tyre and rubber producers. And that is not the case today. Working together we can tackle the challenges, whereas pursuing innovation completely separately will make it harder to reach the sustainability targets”.

Trinseo has an excellent technical community, called Technical Service & Development Group, that works with its customers around the world. This way, the company educates them on its products and their usages. “Irrespective of where we operate, Trinseo focuses on high-end technologies in functionalised S-SBR,” said Lanning. Dr Hofmann added “We are investing heavily in local markets to provide our products and services more efficiently and improve communications between our customers and the company”.

Synthetic rubber is now being used for passenger car tyres, owing to properties that make it suitable for high-end tyres. Trinseo is expanding its portfolio by also focusing on truck and bus tyres (the company’s low Tg polymers like SPRINTAN SLR 3402 are already used in truck and bus tyres as a partial replacement for natural rubber; they improve energy efficiency and performance, predominantly balancing rolling resistance and wear).

“We need to increase the use of synthetic rubber in truck and bus tyres to further impact global sustainability goals. To achieve these goals, we are looking for customers that plan to have SR in tyres for heavy commercial vehicles as well, but we are also using this opportunity to educate the end customers about the advantage of using functionalised S-SBR” said Lanning.

Another challenge for material suppliers is to keep its product development strategies aligned with the fast-changing trends in the automotive industry. Fundamental requirements of low rolling resistance in tyres are not changing in any types of new mobility, believes the company executive. “We also see a shift of focus on wear improvement,” added Dr Hofmann.

Optimising all three aspects of the magic triangle has always been a challenge. The latest functionalised SPRINTAN™ S-SBR grades are proven to reduce lab indicators for rolling resistance by 30 percent compared to nonfunctionalised synthetic rubber grades. This allows for at least three to five percent less fuel consumption in passenger cars. Trinseo’s recently launched SPRINTAN 918S displaying multi-functionalisation technology to reduce rolling resistance and improve wet grip for ultra-high-performance tyres used on premium cars and SUVs.

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HS HYOSUNG ADVANCED MATERIALS made a significant impact at InLEX KOREA 2026, the international defence exhibition hosted from 9 to 11 June at the Daejeon Convention Center. The company placed its advanced material technologies at the forefront, positioning them as future cornerstones of the defence industry.

The exhibition, organised by the Ministry of National Defense and the Army Headquarters, gathered military and civilian stakeholders to chart the sector’s trajectory. HS HYOSUNG ADVANCED MATERIALS used the platform to unveil defence applications of its proprietary carbon fibre, aramid and lyocell while actively building customer networks and hunting for global defence contracts.

Three specialised units collaborated on the ground. The Carbon Materials PU featured aerospace-grade propulsion tanks for drones and satellites alongside chopped fibre and 3K carbon fabrics. Concurrently, the Aramid PU presented ballistic helmets and body armour woven from heat-resistant, high-strength aramid yarns aimed at maximising soldier safety.

In a separate showcase, the Tire Reinforcement Materials PU introduced eco-friendly lyocell yarn and carbonised lyocell fabrics. The Aramid PU’s protective gear and the Carbon Materials PU’s lightweight composites collectively demonstrated how HS HYOSUNG ADVANCED MATERIALS is broadening the use of advanced composites in military applications.

Lim Jin Dal, Chief Executive Officer of HS HYOSUNG ADVANCED MATERIALS, said, “Through this exhibition, we hope to demonstrate how our advanced high-performance materials technologies can be applied to Korea’s defence industry. Building on our continuous R&D efforts and commitment to localising advanced materials, we will contribute to establishing a stable supply chain and continue growing together with the defence industry.”

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ARLANXEO and Covestro have deepened their partnership to enhance sustainability in synthetic rubber manufacturing. ARLANXEO has incorporated ISCC PLUS-certified chlorine from Covestro into its chloroprene rubber production, resulting in a marked decrease in the product environmental footprint of the Baypren portfolio. Covestro produces this certified chlorine using renewable electricity, thereby supporting lower greenhouse gas emissions across the supply chain.

Beginning in January 2026, ARLANXEO’s entire chloroprene rubber output relies exclusively on ISCC PLUS-certified chlorine, representing a major advancement in the company’s long-term sustainability strategy. Depending on the product grade, this shift delivers an average 20 percent reduction in global warming potential compared to 2025 levels. As a critical raw material provider, Covestro has enabled this transition by ensuring a steady supply of the certified chlorine.

The adoption of ISCC PLUS-certified feedstocks strengthens ARLANXEO’s standing as a premier supplier of sustainable elastomer solutions for industries with aggressive climate goals, including automotive, construction, industrial manufacturing and adhesives. Additionally, ARLANXEO now offers Baypren Eco grades that combine certified chlorine with ISCC PLUS-certified butadiene.

These eco grades allow for even deeper environmental impact reductions while maintaining full performance, helping customers meet their own sustainability targets without compromising product quality.

Niels van der Aar, Head of Sustainability at ARLANXEO, said, “Integrating ISCC PLUS-certified materials into our production is a key step in reducing the environmental footprint of our CR products. It underlines our commitment to supporting customers with more sustainable material solutions while advancing transparency along the value chain by supplying corresponding product environmental footprint data for ARLANXEO’s entire CR product portfolio.”

Moritz Winterstein, Head of Trading Cluster Basic Chemicals EMEA at Covestro, said, “At Covestro, we support our customers in reducing emissions along the value chain by supplying more sustainable basic chemical raw materials from our multiple ISCC PLUS-certified production sites. Our collaboration with ARLANXEO demonstrates how certified raw materials and renewable electricity can contribute to lowering the product environmental footprint of downstream applications and support customers in achieving their sustainability targets.”

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The Association of Natural Rubber Producing Countries (ANRPC) released its April 2026 report, highlighting rising prices despite lower production. Output fell 2.59 percent year-on-year due to the seasonal wintering period, dry weather across South and Southeast Asia and El Niño concerns. Brent crude surged to USD 117.29 per barrel, up 13.72 percent from March, driven by Middle East disruptions, which boosted centrifuged latex valuations.

Physical prices rose across all major grades. SMR-20 in Kuala Lumpur increased 4.61 percent to USD 2.13 per kilogramme, while STR-20 in Bangkok climbed 3.53 percent to USD 2.27. RSS-3 in Bangkok jumped 8.10 percent to USD 2.77, and RSS-4 in Kottayam rose 6.53 percent to USD 2.50. Centrifuged latex in Kuala Lumpur gained 12.47 percent to USD 1.93 per kilogramme. Futures markets remained firm, with the Shanghai Futures Exchange September 2026 contract averaging CNY 17,009 per tonne.

For 2026, global production is projected at 15.322 million tonnes, up 2.2 percent, with upward revisions for China and Malaysia. Consumption is forecast to grow 1.3 percent to 15.550 million tonnes, driven by electric vehicle production and recovery in rubber goods. In April alone, estimated output was 772,000 tonnes, while consumption reached 1,235,000 tonnes, a 2.3 percent annual rise.

Trade patterns diverged sharply. China’s imports fell 13.35 percent to 538,200 tonnes due to high inventories, while India’s imports surged 38.79 percent on strong manufacturing demand. Thailand’s exports contracted 4.28 percent to 378,000 tonnes, but Cambodia’s exports soared 106.49 percent. The Malaysian ringgit strengthened to near 3.96 against the US dollar, while the Thai baht stabilised around 3.07 after volatile trading.

The macroeconomic environment remained tense, with US-China trade friction, the Middle East conflict and the US Federal Reserve holding interest rates at 3.50 to 3.75 percent. The near-term outlook for natural rubber is cautiously positive but subject to heightened volatility.

The ANRPC reaffirmed its commitment to objective analysis for the sustainable development of the natural rubber sector. Member governments and stakeholders were encouraged to use the report’s findings for evidence-based policies.

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Indorama Advanced Oxides, a subsidiary of Indorama Corporation, has successfully restarted production at Huelva facility in Spain, achieving its first tonne of Titanium Dioxide (TiO₂) output. The plant, which has an annual capacity of 80,000 tonnes, represents the company’s strategic entry into the global titanium dioxide market. This milestone follows Indorama’s recent completion of the site acquisition from Venator P&A Spain.

The restart marks a crucial step in returning the facility to full operation after the acquisition, ensuring continued supply of the essential white pigment to customers across Europe and global markets. The Huelva team demonstrated strong collaboration and safe execution in resuming activities. This white pigment remains critical for the European paints, coatings and plastics industries.

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