Change and impermanency is the common denominator of all phenomena and processes in nature, which include human activities as well. Heraclitus, the 5^th Century BC Greek philosopher, has said that no man can step into the same river twice. This statement from Heraclitus means that the world constantly changes and that no two situations are exactly the same. Just as water flows in a river, one cannot touch the exact same water twice when one steps into a river. This view has been affirmed by Lord Buddha around the same period.

In fact, the challenge of change can be considered as the key driver in all the human endeavours across history and the main motivating factor of business strategies that have evolved through the four industrial revolutions spanning form the mid-18^th century to the present day of mass digitalisation. The four principles of change management at any level – be it personal, family, workplace, company or a country – are:

• Understand the change
• Plan the change
• Implement the change
• Communicate the change

Some of the significant contributors to the management of change which resulted in the emergence of new approaches and working models that became popular during the past 50 years can be enumerated as:

• Lewin’s Change Management Model
• McKinsey 7S Model.
• Kotler’s Change Management Theory
• Nudge Theory
• ADKAR Theory
• Bridge’s Transition Model
• Kubler-Ross Five Stage Model

There are many schools of thought around managing organisational change, but there's one thing that's clear. Change managers need to structure their organisational changes and need to avoid 'ad hoc' change management. They need to look at organisational change from a programmatic perspective, leverage subject matter experts around the impacts of change and look at the ‘change beyond the change’. 

Corporate change has always been associated with leadership, and Jack Welch, the master of transformational leadership, has once quoted that “good business leaders create a vision, articulate the vision, passionately own the vision and relentlessly drive it to completion.”

Notwithstanding the tremendous utility value of these approaches, I have witnessed the beginning, growth, decline and final exit of some great business empires in Sri Lanka, which could not survive up to the third generation. Similarly, there are exemplary business organisations, the roots of which can be traced back in history to a single person who started with a few rupees and later developed in to corporate giants that are thriving through the third generation. It is therefore apparent that there are no hard and fast norms or standard ground rules, but an emerging factor is the importance of the people at all levels, despite the benefits of automation and digitalisation. Success and failure episodes are abundant throughout the world and corporate graveyards are cluttered with casualties.

Change and business strategy are always closely interlinked without clear boundaries. The ‘Art of War’ – which is attributed to the ancient Chinese military strategist Sun Tzu (around 5^th century BC) – remains the most influential strategy text in East Asian warfare and has influenced both Eastern and Western military thinking, business tactics, legal strategy, lifestyles and beyond.

The Covid-19 outbreak, which started around two years ago and developed in to a devastating pandemic, has brought about years of change in the way companies in all sectors and regions do business. The entire world scenario which we currently witness is reminiscent of the opening paragraph of ‘A Tale of Two Cities’, an 1859 historical novel by Charles Dickens.

“It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair, we had everything before us, we had nothing before us, we were all going direct to Heaven, we were all going direct the other way – in short, the period was so far like the present period, that some of its noisiest authorities insisted on its being received, for good or for evil, in the superlative degree of comparison only.”
 

The Coronavirus has rapidly made ‘business as usual’ a phrase from the distant past. There is no ‘usual’ in this uncertain time. But organisations that outmanoeuvre uncertainty create a resilience they can count on, irrespective of the changes that come

. We’ve all changed the way we operate during the Covid-19 crisis. Some changes were forced on us, while others represent the height of innovation in a crisis. There’s been a reset of the workforce and work itself, a reset of the employer/employee relationship and a reset of the business ecosystem. For most of them, the business impact of the pandemic has been negative; for some, positive. 

The pandemic may have wiped our strategy slate clean (or at least it feels that way), but we have also garnered invaluable experience. Now it’s time to bring together our executive team and use those lessons to reconfigure the business and operating models for a new reality. It appears that in addition to the conventional 3Rs (reduce, reuse and recycle), with respect to resource consumption and sustainability, a set of new 3Rs, namely respond, recover and renew, has emerged during the Covid-19 crisis.

As we shift from response to recovery, the key for senior leaders is to make strategic decisions that will lead them to a renewed future state, however paralysing the uncertain outlook may seem. We can borrow a leaf from the strategy and tactics of the Covid-19 virus itself in learning how to adapt for survival by adopting new paradigms, namely producing more virulent strains such as the Delta variety.

In the absence of a 100 percent effective vaccine or cure for Covid-19, any rebound in business activity could easily be followed by another round of response, recover, renew; so the imperative is to absorb lessons learned quickly and build sustainable changes into business and operating models.

But first, we need to determine exactly where and how the crisis has stretched and broken our existing models, and where the risks and opportunities lie as a result. When talking about risks and opportunities, I cannot help going back to the basics of ISO 9001:2015 Quality Management System (QMS) requirements which expect a company to evaluate the external and internal issues (Clause 4.1), expectations of interested parties (4.2), determining the risks and opportunities (6.1) and planning for change (6.2). In some of the companies that I happen to audit, the priority given to these is at a minimum or no priority given at all apart from stagnant records which do not show any objective evidence of monitoring and review.

However, one important factor we have to consider is that everyone – irrespective of whether it is an individual, family unit, organisation or a country – is on various stages of their unique learning curves, and the strategic horizons have drastically become shorter. Business and strategy planning is no longer an elite task shrouded with mystery and confined to the corporate managers only in their air conditioned rooms but a task to be accomplished in consultation with those who are finally going to implement the strategies and plans. While the Japanese Genba (the actual place) approach is more than 50 years old, it is mostly confined to operational levels, which is rather unfortunate. This crisis has created an opportunity to reset some of our goals and ambitions; it’s time to ask: “As we recover from this crisis, do we want to be different, and if so, how?”

One can see that many companies are in the recovery mode at the moment and trying to do damage control based on profit motive, which is understandable. The entire social, cultural and ethical models and paradigms have changed drastically, and the entrepreneurs need to realise that they are no longer operating in the pre-Covid era. Drastic changes have occurred in the entire supply and value chains with changing customer preferences.

The following quote attributed to many, including Eleanor Roosevelt, a former First Lady of United States, is appropriate to be cited here:

“There are people who make things happen, there are people who watch things happen, and there are people who wonder what happened.” 

Change and impermanency is a fact of life, more so today, and if we do not change, change will change us. After all, it was the mathematical genius of the 20^th Century, Albert Einstein, who once observed that:

“Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.”

We can’t keep doing the same thing every day and expect different results. In other words, we can’t keep doing the same workout routine and expect to look differently. In order for our life to change, we must change – to the degree that we change our actions and our thinking, to the degree that our life will change.

The author a Management Counselor from Sri Lanka

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The Alliance for the Future of Tires (AZuR) has expanded its network by securing Siemens AG (Digital Industries) as its newest partner, taking another step towards advancing digital transformation throughout the tyre and recycling sectors and transformation to a tyre circular economy. This new collaboration reinforces AZuR’s standing as a cross-disciplinary hub that connects innovation, industrial know‑how and sustainable practices.

Siemens brings deep experience in automation and digitalisation to the Europe-wide network, with the shared goal of accelerating a sustainable, ethical and green tyre value chain. The company pursues a holistic approach covering the entire tyre lifecycle, from production and use to end-of-life. A particular emphasis is placed on the end-of-life segment, where Siemens aims to expand its ecosystem through more efficient processing methods and continuous data collection across the increasingly extended lifecycle of tyres.

Working closely with stakeholders including raw material suppliers, machine manufacturers and producers, Siemens seeks to help meet regulatory requirements while unlocking new efficiency gains. A key technological example is the digital twin, a virtual representation of real-world systems and processes. These simulations allow dynamic testing of developments, process optimisations and new methods without physical prototypes, enabling resource-conserving, data-driven improvements for individual tyres or complete recycling and retreading plants.

Siemens’ digital solutions also support precise planning and efficient operation of tyre recycling and retreading facilities for all vehicle types, as well as data-driven tyre tracking for transparent lifecycle documentation. Through this partnership, AZuR demonstrates that transforming the tyre industry depends on the interplay of technology, data and cooperation.

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Linglong Tire has expanded its commercial vehicle portfolio with the introduction of the Linglong Dura Master Van, a new tyre designed specifically for light trucks, vans and motorhomes. This latest addition to the Linglong Master product family emphasises high mileage, low rolling resistance and enhanced driving characteristics. A specialised version, the Dura Master Van e, has been developed to meet the unique requirements of original equipment manufacturers in the automotive industry.

The Dura Master Van features a robust new construction and an optimised tread design with a wider contact surface, delivering significantly higher mileage than its two predecessors, the Green-Max Van and Green-Max Van HP. An innovative tread compound reduces rolling resistance, translating into meaningful cost savings for commercial users. The reinforced carcass enhances load capacity for fully laden vehicles, while new sipe technology combined with a silica-based compound shortens wet braking distances and improves handling on both wet and dry roads.

Production of both the Dura Master Van and the Dura Master Van e is exclusively taking place at Linglong’s advanced tyre factory in Zrenjanin, Serbia, with immediate availability. A total of 29 sizes ranging from 12 to 17 inches will be delivered starting in spring 2026 and will reach retail stores thereafter. The Dura Master Van e, offered in two 16-inch sizes, will be supplied directly to OEMs following individual manufacturer approvals.

Development of the new tyres was led by Linglong’s European Development Center in Hanover, with testing conducted at the Idiada test track in Spain and the company’s own Sino Asia proving ground in China. Looking ahead, Linglong will further expand its van tire lineup in fall 2026 with the introduction of the Dura Master Van 4S, a new all-season tread pattern specifically engineered for light commercial vehicles.

Wencheng Liu, Head of Product Management, Linglong Tire, said, "With the Linglong Dura Master Van, we are expanding our range in the light commercial vehicle sector and offering a high-performance solution for businesses as well as private households. The tyre combines high mileage with safety and efficiency – crucial factors for cost-conscious families and entrepreneurs who use their vehicles every day."

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Tegeta Green Planet, under the leadership of CEO Shalva Akhvlediani, has positioned Georgia as a notable participant in Europe’s circular economy ecosystem through its strong engagement at the 31st annual conference of the European Tyre Recycling Association (ETRA). The event served as a key platform where Akhvlediani presented Georgia’s approach to converting waste materials into valuable industrial resources, marking a significant step for the country’s environmental strategy.

The involvement of Georgia at the Brussel-based conference highlighted the strategic importance of RECSOL LLC, a collaborative venture aimed at establishing modern tyre recycling facilities in Georgia that comply with European Union standards. This project is designed to bridge local industrial needs with internationally recognized environmental and technological benchmarks, reinforcing the country’s commitment to sustainable development.

ETRA’s 2026 gathering took place amid rapidly tightening environmental regulations across Europe, including new sustainability targets and the implementation of Extended Producer Responsibility frameworks. In this context, Akhvlediani’s presentation took on added significance, positioning Georgia alongside European nations that are actively shifting from conventional waste management towards integrated circular economy models. The focus moved beyond simple tyre recycling to creating interconnected systems for material reuse.

A central theme of the address was the transformation of end-of-life tyres into high-quality secondary raw materials such as rubber granules, powders, steel and textile components. Advances in recycling technology now allow these materials to serve industrial value chains more effectively, though Akhvlediani emphasised that processing alone is insufficient without stable demand and integration into manufacturing. This is where RECSOL LLC plays an intermediary role, ensuring uniform output that meets European specifications.

Tegeta Holding, through its Tegeta Green Planet division, has made circular economy strategy a priority, with RECSOL LLC as a core initiative. The planned recycling factory is intended to serve both domestic and export markets, aligning with European technological and environmental standards while remaining scalable for future growth. This industrial capacity positions Georgia as a potential bridge between Europe and the Caucasus region, attracting foreign investment and creating regional supply chains for recycled goods.

Regulatory harmonisation was another key point raised at ETRA 2026, particularly regarding emission controls, energy management, product certification and reporting systems. Akhvlediani also highlighted downstream applications such as rubberised asphalt, which offers enhanced road durability, lower maintenance costs, reduced noise and improved safety. Using recycled materials in infrastructure development would allow Georgia to turn waste into a driver of economic and environmental progress.

Looking beyond the conference, attention is now shifting to implementation, including finalising engineering designs, securing investment and linking suppliers with end users. The 2026 ETRA meeting marked a pivotal moment for Georgia’s industrial and environmental ambitions, with Akhvlediani, Tegeta Holding, Tegeta Green Planet and RECSOL LLC collectively steering the country towards becoming a contributing partner in Europe’s circular economy.

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Pirelli has marked a successful start to the 2026 Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters season, as the specially developed P Zero tyres for DTM’s GT3 cars received widespread praise from drivers and teams following the opening round at the Red Bull Ring in Austria. The weekend featured bright sunshine, mild temperatures, close competition and full grandstands, with German brands demonstrating absolute dominance on track. From Pirelli’s perspective, the event encapsulated the best possible debut for its exclusive tire technology.

The Red Bull Ring crowd witnessed two thrilling races. Saturday’s victory went to Thomas Preining of the Manthey team driving a Porsche, who secured the win after qualifying third in an exceptionally tight session. That qualifying session saw lap times surpass the 2023 track record, with eleven drivers finishing within less than one second of each other. Behind Preining, Luca Auer in a Landgraf team Mercedes-AMG finished second, followed by Maro Engel in a Ravenol team Mercedes-AMG in third.

Sunday’s race delivered another dramatic contest, with Engel taking the win after starting from fifth on the grid. Marco Wittmann in a Schubert team BMW climbed from ninth place to finish second, while Auer claimed third again. Spectators also enjoyed action from other Pirelli-partnered categories, including GT Masters, GT4 Germany and the FIA Formula Regional championship, which launched its season with a new generation of cars fitted with bespoke 15-inch Pirelli P Zero tyres developed exclusively for that series.

Matteo Braga, Circuit Activity Manager, Pirelli, said, "We are very satisfied with the performance of the new P Zero tyres for the DTM. It was not a given that already at the first race the drivers would be able to get the best out of the tyres, exploiting the performance optimised for this race format. We saw many different tyre strategies, which was one of the objectives set for us by the teams and the promoter during product development. Furthermore, the faster warm-up minimised the impact of pit stops, allowing drivers to defend their position more easily after the stop. There will certainly still be a great deal for everyone to learn: first and foremost on our side, as we gathered interesting data over the weekend, but also on the drivers' side, who will need to optimise the management of the mix between new and used tyres over the course of each event and throughout the seasonal carry-over."

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