Bridgestone and Kwik Fit are renewing their presence at The British Motor Show for 2026, stepping in as official sponsors of the Live Arena and Supercar Paddock. Their involvement marks the fifth year these two companies have powered some of the event’s most energetic and crowd-drawing features. Central to the show’s appeal, the Live Arena delivers high-octane displays and gripping stunt performances, while the Supercar Paddock offers rare access to an elite collection of supercars. Together, these zones have become defining elements of the visitor experience, reflecting a shared dedication to excitement, engineering excellence and road safety.

Throughout the 2026 event, attendees can look forward to a packed schedule of arena action and an impressive supercar showcase. Bridgestone and Kwik Fit specialists will be present to engage with the public, offering practical advice on tyre care, vehicle checks and overall driver preparedness. This collaboration underscores a sustained alignment between the brands and the show’s mission to inspire and educate automotive enthusiasts of all generations. Scheduled for 21 to 23 August 2026, the show anticipates a significant turnout, presenting an ideal platform for exhibitors and sponsors to engage with both consumers and the broader motoring sector in a direct and meaningful way.

Drew Chapman, Consumer Sales Director, Bridgestone UK, said, “We’re thrilled to return to the British Motor Show with Kwik Fit for our fifth consecutive year. Spanning three exciting days, the event offers a fantastic day out for families and passionate car fans alike. Performance is at the core of everything we do at Bridgestone, so we’re proud to be at the centre of the action as sponsors of the Bridgestone in partnership with Kwik Fit Live Arena and the Supercar Paddock.”

Andy Lane, Marketing Director, Kwik Fit, said, “We’re proud to be partnering with Bridgestone once again at the British Motor Show. The thrilling stunts and extreme performance in the Live Arena and Supercar Paddock may seem a world away from everyday motoring, but there is a common thread. All drivers need to have confidence in their car – whether up on two wheels in the arena or popping to the shops on the road. This event is the perfect place to connect with motorists of all ages and share how our expertise, combined with the quality and performance of Bridgestone tyres, helps keep the nation’s drivers safe on the road.”

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The Global Platform for Sustainable Natural Rubber (GPSNR) has launched a three-year collaboration with the Berlin-based social enterprise Elucid to provide healthcare access for 1,800 rubber farming households in Côte d’Ivoire. The initiative, funded through GPSNR’s Shared Investment Mechanism, will benefit approximately 9,000 individuals. Financial backing comes from 13 major tyre and rubber manufacturers, including Aeolus Tyre, Apollo Tyres, BKT, Goodyear, Hankook, Kumho Tire, Maxxis International, Nokian Tyres, Prometeon Tyre Group, Sumitomo Riko, Sumitomo Rubber Industries, Toyo Tire and Yokohama Rubber. The programme directly confronts a long‑ignored reality within the natural rubber sector: the link between farmer health and supply chain stability.

Côte d’Ivoire ranks 187th out of 195 nations for quality of care, with only 32 percent of essential medicines available publicly. Although two‑thirds of the population are enrolled in national health insurance on paper, fewer than four percent used their card in 2025. Medical emergencies cost the country an estimated 853 million US dollars in cocoa exports in 2017 alone, and with many farmers growing both cocoa and rubber, the implications for the rubber sector are substantial.

The partnership integrates four measures: enrolling families into national insurance, providing an emergency care package covering WHO‑accredited medications, upgrading 15 local health facilities and running community awareness programmes. Elucid’s digital platform will track data in real time. The project aims to increase healthcare visits from under 200 to over 1,800, push insurance enrolment from below 30 percent to above 90 percent and prevent more than 150 catastrophic health expenditure events annually. Half of beneficiaries will be women, and 20 percent children.

Photo credit: Elucid

Farmer enrolment begins in August 2026, with improvements continuing until January 2029. Without reliable healthcare, medical emergencies force farmers to sell assets and abandon farm improvements, creating direct risks for supply chains. The programme seeks to reverse that dynamic, targeting long‑term sustainability by building cooperative capacity to maintain health support for members.

Stefano Savi, CEO, GPSNR, said, “We talk constantly about improving yields and farm management practices, but we’ve missed something fundamental. A farmer who can’t afford to see a doctor when they’re sick or who cannot go to the farm because their child is unwell can’t be productive. Healthcare isn’t separate from supply chain resilience. It’s central to it.”

Sambhavna Biswas, Partnerships Manager, Elucid, said, “This is about demonstrating what’s possible when the private sector invests in making national health systems work for farmers. This model can be replicated across rubber-growing regions and adapted to other agricultural sectors. Everyone in the value chain benefits when the people at its foundation are healthy and economically secure.”

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CEAT Limited has incorporated a step-down subsidiary in Germany, marking an extension of its overseas corporate structure.

The BSE-listed tyre maker said it had received a certificate of registration on 20^th April  for the incorporation of CEAT GmbH, a wholly owned step-down subsidiary set up with a capital of €25,000.

The subsidiary is held entirely through a wholly owned arm of CEAT Limited, giving the parent company indirect 100 percent ownership.

The company stated that CEAT GmbH would operate in the automotive tyres and related products segment, including tubes, tracks, flaps and ancillary activities.

As the entity has been newly incorporated, no turnover figures are available.

CEAT said the subsidiary qualifies as a related party, although promoters and group companies have no direct interest in it beyond its status as a step-down subsidiary.

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NEXEN TIRE has unveiled a major marketing push across United States designed to lift brand visibility among everyday drivers and sports fans alike. The initiative merges high-profile sports arena placements with hands-on retail strategies, aiming to reach consumers through stadium screens, in-store displays and moving advertisements. Company officials see this broad approach as a key step in deepening connections with the American market, which remains the world’s largest for tyre sales.

A central piece of the effort involves digital LED advertising inside nine Major League Baseball stadiums spread across four different US regions, ensuring exposure to both live crowds and television audiences. The company has also purchased commercial time on more than 10 sports networks to stretch its national reach. Beyond baseball, NEXEN TIRE will extend its existing sponsorship of the National Hockey League’s Anaheim Ducks, adding ribbon boards and exterior billboards at the team’s home rink and training facility.

On the retail side, the manufacturer is placing banner and digital advertisements at over 3,000 locations throughout North America, including major big-box chains and specialised tyre stores. A separate truckside advertising campaign will put branded wraps on delivery vehicles operated by key dealer partners, turning highways and local roads into moving billboards. The North American region already generates 22 percent of NEXEN TIRE’s total revenue, a figure representing roughly 40 percent growth since 2021, with larger diameter tyres of 18 inches and above now accounting for half of all regional sales due to rising demand for trucks, SUVs and premium vehicles.

The company has further strengthened its position by broadening its retail distribution network, launching new tyre models, attending industry gatherings like the SEMA Show and hosting test drive events for dealers. With this latest brand investment, NEXEN TIRE expects to accelerate its growth trajectory and lock in a more permanent presence across the North American market.

Brian (Yoonseok) Han, CEO, Nexen Tire America, said, "The core of this strategy is making NEXEN TIRE a natural part of American consumers' everyday lives, from stadiums to stores to the roads they drive on each day. By combining sports marketing with retail activation in a comprehensive campaign, we expect to accelerate growth in the North American market."

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Dunlop Tire Corporation (DUNLOP) has entered a strategic partnership with the International Auto Film Festa (IAFF), now in its fourth year as a global hub for automotive cinema. All future references to the event from 2026 onward will carry the title ‘International Auto Film Festa - Powered by DUNLOP’, marking a significant branding shift.

The Tokyo-based festival has quickly become a unique cultural celebration blending automobiles, filmmaking and creativity. Filmmakers worldwide are invited to submit original short films of up to 15 minutes, covering car culture, cinematography, animation, artificial intelligence and motorsport. As the official title partner, Dunlop will help expand the festival’s international footprint, rooted in shared values of innovation, performance and storytelling.

All 12 judges have already cast their votes for this year’s winners. The award ceremony and party for the International Auto Film Festa - Powered by DUNLOP will take place on 25 April in Tokyo’s Roppongi district.

Yoshiyuki Shimizu, Founder, IAFF, said, “We are truly honoured to welcome Dunlop, a global brand, as our title partner. IAFF is not merely a short movie competition but a new cultural platform where automobiles and cinema merge. With Dunlop's strong support, we are confident that, together with creators and their works from around the world, we can vividly portray the future of automotive culture from Japan, a major automotive nation.”

Akito Makino President and CEO, Dunlop Tire Corporation, said, “Dunlop supports the International Auto Film Festa, which aims to showcase the appeal and potential of automotive culture through film, and has decided to sponsor this film festival. As a company that supports the evolution of mobility and the emotions of people, we will continue to contribute to the development of diverse values and culture surrounding automobiles.”

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