What may change and what may not

It is impossible to predict in advance which changes will stick, and how much and to what extent our lives will change, but it is safe to say that the changes that will persist are those that make our lives safer, healthier, and more efficient.

Mask wearing may be the most visible change that persists, and not just cheap surgical masks or bandanas. In many big, design-conscious cities the mask is already becoming more a fashion statement, a new feature of the personal decoration of city life that permeates these places. Masks may become walking billboards for commercial ads or political statements. Masks, visors and facial protection will be integrated into the uniforms of public workers, delivery people, police, firefighters, and security guards.

All public places – schools, theaters, shopping malls offices and mass transit will be reconfigured for physical distancing. Restaurants, cafes and gymnasiums, those that survive the pandemic, will have fewer patrons, as their tables and equipment will have been designed for physical distancing. Attendees of at large venues, such as sports venues, may continue to be subjected to have their temperatures checked.

The way we worked by going to the “office” has changed and many will continue working from home. This means reduced need for large office buildings. Still, growing urbanisation will continue. In the past, urbanisation has overcome the devastating Black Plagues, cholera and even the recent Spanish Flu which killed as many as 50 million people worldwide between 1918 and 1920. Each and every time, the economic power of cities — their ability to foster innovation and productivity by pulling together the talent of workers — has been more than enough to offset the destructive power of infectious disease. However, the current digital era may achieve similar outcomes without people clustered together in an urban setting.

On an individual consumer level, more shopping will move to online transactions with courier services delivering goods – so, brick-and-mortar shopping venues will see reduced business.

The pandemic has had a swift and severe impact on the globally integrated automotive industry and has placed intense pressure on an industry already coping with a downshift in global demand as well as the cost of shifting towards electrification. So, look for a changed industry with increased merger & acquisition activity.  

So, change is here to stay, and businesses need to pay special attention to signals being sent by consumers’ changing behavior. 

Anyway, when the pandemic and all its related crises finally ebb and we are on the road to recovery in a few months or a couple of years from now, we will have the opportunity to look back and see what has changed!

Comments (0)

ADD COMMENT

Link Copied!

Oak Group Holdings has reaffirmed its strategic growth ambitions following a transformative business update centred on the acquisition of Exhaust, Tyres and Batteries (ETB). The move makes Oak the sole owner of ETB, adding two wholesale sites and 52 retail shops across the Midlands, Wales and Southwest England to its existing portfolio.

With the acquisition complete, Oak is now prioritising improvements to stock availability throughout the ETB network to align with the high service standards characteristic of the family-run enterprise. Supporting this effort is the launch of Oak’s new 155,150 square feet storage and distribution hub in Newport, which can hold over 250,000 tyres. A dedicated fleet of heavy goods vehicles will enhance service and product access for brand dealers across the southwest and South Wales.

Financial and tax advisory services for the deal were provided by Grant Thornton, covering corporate finance and due diligence. Legal counsel was led by Michael Hudson of DLA Piper, while CG Professional, under managing partner Louise Myers, handled all employment aspects of the acquisition and continues to support Oak Group Holdings on a retained basis post-transaction.

Peter Cross, Commercial Director, Oak Tyres, said, “The first quarter of 2026 has been transformational for our family business in many ways. We have grown our wholesale network even further and we are working with the fantastic team at ETB to develop the service offer and stock availability to the retail trade across the region. We are committed to ensuring these developments enhance the quality service we always strive to deliver for our customers.”

Mike Tillson, Partner at Grant Thornton Corporate Finance, said: “It’s been a pleasure to work with Oak and the Cross family on this exciting and transformational acquisition. We are sure that the combined Group will go from strength to strength and that ETB will be successful into the future under their ownership.”

Comments (0)

ADD COMMENT

Link Copied!

Michelin has inaugurated PolMixLab, a new associated research laboratory (LabCom), on 22 April 2026, in collaboration with the National Centre for Scientific Research (CNRS), INSA Lyon, Lyon 1 University and Jean Monnet University. The primary objective of the joint initiative is to invent the rubber of the future by accelerating innovation in polymer materials for multiple industrial uses. The partnership leverages the combined scientific and industrial expertise of all parties to balance performance, durability, and energy efficiency.

Against a backdrop of ecological transition and rising industrial demands, polymer materials like elastomers are a critical research frontier. Their applications span automotive, aeronautics, healthcare and construction, requiring continuous improvements in durability, recyclability, energy sobriety and advanced functionality. To address these challenges, research teams from the Polymer Materials Engineering Laboratory – representing the CNRS, INSA Lyon, Lyon 1 University and Jean Monnet University – have joined forces with Michelin to develop next-generation polymer materials.

Academic and industrial researchers will pursue three main goals over the course of four years. The first involves reducing manufacturing energy for elastomers through digital simulation and improved blend quality. The second focuses on creating new elastomers that exceed current performance limits via innovative structures. The third aims to boost environmental performance by integrating short-loop recycling directly into the polymer formulation phase. The resulting rubbers are intended for strategic applications in mobility, medical devices, aeronautics and high-performance industrial equipment.

PolMixLab represents a structural initiative rooted in Michelin’s 130 years of materials science expertise, spanning chemistry, material transformation, composite design and use-case knowledge from basic research to industrialization. The laboratory marks the 10th active associated research laboratory between the CNRS and Michelin, underscoring a long-term commitment to reducing carbon footprints, extending material lifespans and optimising performance for contemporary industrial and environmental needs.

Mehdi Gmar, Chief Innovation Officer, CNRS, said, “The CNRS is pleased with the creation of PolMixLab, a new associated research laboratory with Michelin, a leading partner with which it has a longstanding relation of trust since the 1990s, one that is structured by a framework-agreement renewed multiple times and nearly forty collaborations each year. This associated research laboratory, which also includes INSA Lyon, Lyon 1 University and Jean Monnet University, marks a new stage in this cooperation by developing polymer materials that offer higher performance, and are more recyclable and sober in energy.”

Christophe Moriceau, VP – Advanced Research, Michelin Group, said, “With PolMixLab, Michelin is strengthening its ability to anticipate and accompany major industrial and environmental issues connected to materials. By combining our unparalleled expertise in materials science and polymer composites with the academic excellence of our partners, we strive to invent rubbers that offer higher performance and are more durable and sober in energy. This research indeed includes the development of materials from biosourced resources, as well as control over material life cycle assessment, with a view to creating innovative solutions offering reduced environmental impact in the service of mobility, along with numerous industrial applications beyond tyres.”

Bruno Lina, President, Lyon 1 University, said, “PolMixLab illustrates the capacity of Lyon 1 University to develop structural research partnerships where scientific excellence meets industrial and environmental issues. By mobilising our expertise in materials science alongside our academic partners and Michelin, we help develop innovative solutions for materials that offer higher performance and are more suitable for the uses of the future.”

Comments (0)

ADD COMMENT

Link Copied!

Hankook Tire, the exclusive tyre supplier to the FIA World Rally Championship (WRC), is supporting Round 5 of the 2026 WRC season, Rally Islas Canarias, taking place from 23 to 26 April across Spain’s Canary Islands. For the event, Hankook is providing its Ventus Z215 and Ventus Z210 tarmac rally tyres, with the former engineered for precise handling on abrasive asphalt and the latter designed for wet-road traction and water evacuation.

Celebrating its 50th anniversary in 2026, Rally Islas Canarias returned as an official WRC round for the second consecutive year after joining the calendar for the first time the previous season. Based on Gran Canaria Island, home to the capital Las Palmas, the rally featured 18 special stages covering a competitive distance of 322.61 kilometres, all on asphalt. The opening day’s highlight was the Super Special Stage at the BP Ultimate - Circuito Islas Canarias, where drivers competed in a head-to-head time-attack format.

Regarded as one of the championship’s most iconic tarmac events, the rally is defined by the abrasive, high-grip asphalt and dramatic elevation changes of Gran Canaria’s volcanic terrain. While the consistent surface grip allows circuit-like, high-speed precision driving, it also subjects tyres to intense physical stress. Maintaining grip under high surface temperatures and adapting to unpredictable mountain weather is expected to make tyre performance a decisive factor in the rally’s outcome.

Since the 2025 season, Hankook has served as the exclusive tyre supplier for all WRC classes, reinforcing its role as a key technical partner in global motorsport. By leveraging data from top-tier series such as the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship and the WRC, alongside advanced R&D infrastructure, Hankook continues to drive innovation in high-performance tyre technology while strengthening its global premium brand position.

Comments (0)

ADD COMMENT

Link Copied!

Continental is providing comprehensive tyre support to Royal Den Hartogh Logistics, a Dutch family-owned leader in container-based bulk transport for the chemical and food industries. With a history of collaboration exceeding 60 years, the tyre manufacturer now supplies professional tyre management and rolling resistance optimised tyres from the Conti Eco Gen 5 family to the logistics firm’s European fleet of over 900 vehicles.

Peter Rodenburg, Senior Technical Manager at Den Hartogh, has identified safety, costs and the energy transition as the biggest challenges in the company’s Europe wide operations. His assessment highlights the need for more fuel-efficient driving and emission reductions. Meanwhile, Hinnerk Kaiser, Head of Product Development for Bus and Truck Tires at Continental, notes that the fifth generation of the Conti Eco tyre family is specifically designed to address transport sector customer needs and Europe’s dynamic regulatory environment.

The vehicle fleet operates across Europe with the latest generation tyres, supported by Continental’s Pull Point tyre monitoring, breakdown analysis and cost evaluation. Rodenburg has confirmed that the Eco tyre’s optimisation for rolling resistance delivers significant benefits in fuel efficiency and overall performance. The Conti Eco HD 5 has demonstrated its value in both fuel economy and mileage while also performing reliably under varying road and weather conditions.

Rodenburg has reported that after one year of joint fleet monitoring, the first impression of tyre performance and wear is positive. The switch to this tyre, combined with other vehicle optimisations, has yielded measurable cost savings. He states that with the complete package in place, the company has seen significant improvements in average fuel consumption of up to eight percent, making the move to the Conti Eco HD 5 a positive decision.

Looking ahead, Rodenburg acknowledges that the energy transition is taking shape, though the speed of fleet electrification remains uncertain. He emphasises that energy is becoming more expensive and must be used as efficiently as possible, with rolling resistance and air resistance representing losses to be minimised. An optimal tyre, he concludes, brings measurable benefits at every stage of the fleet’s transformation, an area where the rolling resistance optimised Conti Eco Gen 5 excels in contributing to fleet optimisation.

Comments (0)

ADD COMMENT

Link Copied!