On the occasion of the tenth anniversary of the founding of the Silao factory, Pirelli will invest 114-million-euro investment - already envisaged in the 2021-2022 - 2025 industrial plan. 

The construction – planned for the two-year period 2022- 2023 – is aimed at further increasing high value production at the Mexican site. The investment confirms the strategic importance of the plant and will see an increase in production capacity of over one million pieces for a total of 8.5 million tyres by 2025 when fully operational (from 7.2 million at the end of 2022). With an expansion of the production area of 16,000 square meters to over 220,000 and further improvement of the mix, the investment will also create of 400 new jobs for a total of 3,200 employees when fully operational. 

The investment was announced during the visit by the governor of the Mexican state of Guanajuato, Diego Sinhue Rodríguez Vallejo, to the Silao factory for the celebration of its tenth anniversary. The ceremony also saw the participation of the Executive Vice Chairman and CEO of Pirelli, Marco Tronchetti Provera, via video message and was attended by the Ambassador of Italy to Mexico, Luigi De Chiara, the President and CEO of Pirelli North America, Claudio Zanardo and the CEO and General Manager of Pirelli Neumaticos SA Mexico, Paolo Benea.

“The Silao plant has made an important contribution to the success of Pirelli’s global strategy of becoming the leader in the High Value segment. When we chose Silao, and the Guanajuato region, as the location for a new plant 10 years ago, our expectations were very high. Today I am happy to say that we have achieved our goals and that the factory and the people who work there have exceeded our expectations. In fact, the Silao plant is one of the most technologically advanced in the Group and will soon host a new Pirelli R&D Centre. As we have for 10 years, we continue to strongly believe in Silao and its people”, said Marco Tronchetti Provera, Executive Vice Chairman and CEO of Pirelli.

“Mexico is a strategic area for Pirelli for all its activities in North and Central America and with this investment we will further increase Pirelli’s technological and industrial competitiveness. I wish to thank all the people and the institutions, who over these years have contributed to the growth of the Silao factory”, said Claudio Zanardo, President and CEO of Pirelli North America.

“In Guanajuato we are very proud to have Pirelli in our state, and to celebrate its tenth anniversary of the Silao plant, as well as the 150th anniversary of its foundation worldwide.

The presence of Pirelli in Guanajuato, one of the most advanced companies in innovation and technology, supports our continued advancement from manufacturing to mindfacture.

Pirelli and Guanajuato, share values and a vision of the future, enabling us to build a success story together. Constant investments confirm the strategic importance of this plant and ratifies the confidence that Pirelli has in our state. We are thankful for this commitment which will strengthen our development and generate more jobs for Guanajuato families”, said Diego Sinhue Rodríguez Vallejo, the Governor of the Mexican state of Guanajuato.

Located within the Silao “Puerto Interior” industrial hub, in the state of Guanajuato, one of Mexico’s major logistics centers and key economic and technology hubs, Pirelli inaugurated the plant in 2012 to serve the local and North American markets.

In the last ten years, the Silao plant has grown at a remarkable speed, progressing from a capacity of around 1.5 million tyres and a staff of 300 people at the end of 2012 to a capacity of 7.2 million tyres at the end of 2022 and around 2,800 employees. Its production is focused on the High Value segment, producing High Performance and Ultra-High Performance tyres for passenger cars, electric vehicles, SUVs and Light Trucks.

The Mexican plant has always delivered the most innovative Pirelli solutions, like Cyber Tyre, PNCS (Pirelli Noise Cancelling System™), and RFID writing, aimed at tracking tyres to provide product information to the entyre logistics chain. Equipped with the group’s most advanced production processes, in recent years the Mexican factory has implemented the principles of Industry 4.0, in addition to a growing engagement with environmental care, adopting international standards that promote electricity and water savings, and ensure the recycling of waste from the plant.

The commitment announced today brings Pirelli’s investment in the Mexican plant since its foundation to more than 800 million euro and follows the announcement in May 2022 of the creation of the Italian company’s first Research and Development Center in Mexico, which is in addition to the 13 existing centers around the world. Innovation is in fact an essential element of Pirelli’s strategy and the company annually invests around 6% of its revenue from High Value products in R&D and has over 6,700 patents.

 “PIRELLI, THE CULTURE OF INNOVATION”, A BOOK CELEBRATING THE 10th ANNIVERSARY.

To celebrate a milestone as important as the tenth anniversary of its foundation, Pirelli Mexico has published a book entitled “Pirelli, the culture of innovation,” edited by Trilce Ediciones and realised also thanks to the contribution from Fondazione Pirelli and the material housed in the company’s Historical Archives: a way to commemorate the local legacy of a company that in January 2022 marked 150 years of activity with worldwide celebrations. The book retraces the development stages of the Silao plant, its rapid growth, deep roots in the territory and among local communities, and Pirelli’s contribution to the development of the Guanajuato Region.

The celebration of the tenth anniversary of the Silao plant takes on particular importance in a year when Pirelli is commemorating 150 years since its foundation in Milan, where on January 28, 1872, the 23-year-old Giovanni Battista Pirelli founded a rubber factory that would become one of the most innovative and technologically advanced companies in the world. Known for its production excellence and as a lifestyle brand, active in culture, sport and motorsport at the highest levels, Pirelli today has 18 production plants in 12 countries and a commercial reach in over 160 countries.

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Ecolomondo Corporation, a Canadian developer of sustainable tyre recycling technology, has released its unaudited financial results for the second quarter ending 30 June 2025. The period was marked by significant progress in commercialising its Hawkesbury thermal decomposition facility, particularly within the recovered carbon black (rCB) department. A major milestone was reached with the installation and commissioning of new milling equipment, a critical step for the plant to achieve full operational capacity, as rCB is its primary revenue generator.

Following the quarter's end, the company's main rCB client formally approved the product quality, leading to five consecutive purchase orders for multiple truckloads delivered between July and August. A separate US-based customer has also approved the rCB quality, with bulk purchase orders anticipated imminently.

Financially, Ecolomondo secured USD 1.5 million through private placements and finalised a significant agreement with Export Development Canada (EDC). This arrangement provides a temporary postponement of principal and interest payments on three existing loans, improving the company's working capital and investor confidence. This debt modification resulted in a gain of USD 2,495,209, which contributed to a reported net profit of USD 1,452,712, for the quarter, despite an operating loss, which stood at USD 1,042,497 for the quarter, compared to USD 443,418 for the same period of 2024.

Revenue saw substantial growth, increasing by 212 percent to USD 395,149 compared to the same period in 2024, driven by product sales and tipping fees at the Hawkesbury plant. Capital expenditures for the Hawkesbury TDP turnkey facility totalled USD 51,358,723 after accounting for depreciation, while the company’s cash and cash equivalents stood at USD 1,508,645. Over the coming 12 months, Ecolomondo anticipates utilising an additional USD 2.0 million, which will be primarily allocated to covering ongoing working capital requirements and essential capital purchases for the Hawkesbury facility.

The company also advanced its global expansion strategy, signing a definitive agreement with ARESOL, a renewable energy group, to construct four turnkey recycling facilities in the European Union. The first plant is planned for Valencia, Spain. At its Annual General Meeting, all management proposals were unanimously adopted by shareholders.

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The European Tyre and Rubber Manufacturers’ Association (ETRMA), alongside 13 other European business organisations, has signed a Joint Statement urging the European Commission to ensure a strong and ambitious implementation of the Data Act.

The coalition, including numerous SMEs and Small Mid-Caps from the digital and industrial sectors of European companies, has urged the European Commission to uphold the regulation against pressure to dilute its core provisions, identifying it as a crucial framework for unlocking industrial data across the EU economy. The signatories contend that a robust implementation is vital for fostering a competitive market and unleashing innovation, particularly for smaller businesses.

The coalition highlights the Act’s benefits, which include empowering SMEs with data portability rights, protecting them from unfair contractual terms and mandating that data sharing occurs on fair, reasonable and non-discriminatory (FRAND) terms. A key provision requires cloud providers to facilitate switching through open standards, combating vendor lock-in. The statement expresses concern that lobbying efforts for delayed enforcement, weaker interoperability definitions and reliance on global standards without fairness guarantees threaten to undermine these objectives.

For the Data Act to be effective, the coalition insists on full implementation to open data markets to genuine competition and prevent SMEs from being excluded by legal complexity. The statement also calls for a proportionate approach, requesting practical guidance, standard contractual clauses and well-resourced enforcement authorities to support smaller companies. It notes that in certain sectors, supplementary legislation may be needed for full clarity.

The coalition concludes that strong enforcement is paramount, asserting that without it, the Act's rights will remain theoretical. They warn that any delay or softening of key provisions risks reinforcing the very market barriers the regulation was designed to eliminate. The signatories urge the Commission to ensure robust enforcement to secure a competitive and innovative Single Market for all companies.

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The Yokohama Rubber Co., Ltd. has been selected as the official tyre supplier for the groundbreaking FIA Extreme H World Cup, the world's first hydrogen-powered motorsport series. The company will supply its GEOLANDAR brand of tyres for the championship, which is scheduled to commence next month in Saudi Arabia. The company will also continue to supply GEOLANDAR tyres for the Extreme E off-road electric vehicle series, which holds its final event on 4–5 October in Saudi Arabia.

Central to both the Extreme H and Extreme E series is a shared mission to advance sustainability and equality. The championships serve as dynamic platforms to promote environmental awareness and demonstrate cutting-edge technologies while also enforcing a strict mandate for gender parity by requiring each team to field one male and one female driver. The Extreme H series will feature eight international teams operating the Pioneer 25, a cutting-edge hydrogen fuel cell vehicle capable of generating 550 horsepower and accelerating from 0 to 100 kmph in 4.5 seconds. The global significance of this new championship is expected to draw a worldwide television audience across multiple continents.

As the predecessor to Extreme H, the Extreme E series utilised the high-performance all-electric Odyssey 21 vehicle. All teams competing in the new hydrogen series will also participate in this final Extreme E event, marking the conclusion of the electric championship as it transitions towards a hydrogen future.

In alignment with the environmental principles of these series, Yokohama Rubber will provide a specially developed prototype tyre based on its GEOLANDAR X-AT model. This tyre has been engineered with a significantly increased ratio of sustainable materials, comprising 38 percent renewable and recycled content. It has also been fortified with enhanced durability characteristics to withstand the unique demands of heavy hydrogen-powered and electric off-road racing vehicles.

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Hankook Tire is advancing its future mobility leadership through strategic open innovation and collaborative design projects. This effort was showcased at the company’s recent Design Innovation Day 2025, held at its Pangyo Technoplex headquarters. The event serves as a platform to present new solutions integrating sustainability, innovation and design while reinforcing partnerships with global technology leaders.

A major focus was the unveiling of two key outcomes from Hankook’s ongoing Design Innovation Project. The first was ‘Sustainable Concept Tyre’, an embodiment of the company’s ESG vision. Developed using advanced 3D printing technology, it is constructed from renewable and recycled materials. Its distinctive organic design was realised in collaboration with Harvestance using specialised engineering software.

The second reveal was the WheelBot 2, a multi-directional mobility platform developed with robotics startup CALMANTECH. This advanced robotic wheel system, equipped with tri-axial spherical tyres, demonstrates new possibilities for movement. Its potential was illustrated through a live demonstration of the PathCruizer, a two-seater pod concept powered by the WheelBot technology.

Beyond product reveals, the event highlighted Hankook’s commitment to knowledge sharing, featuring a presentation on 3D printing advancements from LG Electronics. These collaborations are central to Hankook’s strategy of strengthening its technology leadership. Since 2012, the company has partnered with world-renowned design universities and technology firms, consistently earning prestigious international design awards and solidifying the premium stature of its global brand.

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