The Global Data Service Organisation (GDSO) for tyres and automotive components is only a few months old in the tyre industry but is doing an exceptional job at elevating it. The international non-profit organisation standardises data related to tyres and defines solutions to access and exchange data. Moreover, it establishes worldwide agreement on a web service to facilitate data access by stakeholders. Tyre Trends caught up with Riccardo Giovannotti, GDSO Secretary General, who explained how GDSO functions, the significance of sharing knowledge within the tyre industry and about getting more tyre manufacturers on board with the organisation.

Can you tell us a bit about GDSO?
GDSO was established in January 2022, which makes us pretty young. It was founded by five founding members that are tyre manufacturers – Bridgestone, Continental, Goodyear, Michelin and Pirelli. GDSO wants to be technology-agnostic; therefore, we aren’t paying attention to just one specific technology. We want to stick to standardised technology in line with the first word of our pay-off: ‘Standardise. Share. Simplify.’

When we talk about data, that could be static data like the tyre brand, tyre dimension, date of production etc. or also some possible performance data like the rolling resistance value, the uniformity data etc.

Today, the bigger challenge for the tyre industry is to retrieve tyre data. Visual inspection, data inspection etc. are causing a lot of waste of time and missed opportunities, leading to a lack of profitability – not just for the tyre manufacturers but all the stakeholders involved in the tyre value chain.

When you say data, what kind of data do you mean?
I mean the data around the tyre.

The tyre industry is one that is not very keen on sharing data, especially when it comes to raw materials. So what is the purpose of coming together to retrieve data?
We know that everyone in the industry is competing fiercely with one another. However, in the past five to six years, the tyre industry has realised that the competition will change. We are entering a digital era of opportunities and our vehicles are becoming more connected. Hence, we really need to step up together and elevate the tyre sector to the digital age. After that, tyre manufacturers will definitely compete with one another. But before we get there, we have to join forces so that the scale-up of the entire industry may be quicker. Thus, it is a win-win situation.

Plus, we need to share our knowledge with one another. Sharing knowledge is not an issue if we want to solve the industry’s problems together. In fact, sharing knowledge presents opportunities. So it’s all about the mindset – to work together towards opportunities. And I am sure that tyre manufacturers will start competing once the data is available in an electronic format on the services to be provided, which would be very interesting. Therefore, we would like to unlock this potential through the sharing of knowledge and information, which should be further based on simplification.

Speaking of knowledge sharing, are you open to having more GDSO members to get their insights?
While we already have a solution for retrieving data, we are open to engaging new members. Five members are not enough, and we need to bring the tyre industry to another level. In order to achieve this, we need new members to join us who can share their input from a technical standpoint. Hence, our organisation is already shaped with a clear governance that wants to be transparent. We want to have a shared platform from a collaboration standpoint. For this, we need the cooperation of different technical aspects made by different tyre manufacturers. The point is to come together for one common goal.

Can you tell us more about your solution?
The solution that we have invented is something that is not disruptive. It is based on the common commitment towards standardisation: the Tyre Information Service (TIS). Before launching the solution, we were looking for some benchmarks. While we had a clear understanding of ‘what’ the problem was, we wanted the ‘why’ to exist. Thus, before addressing the ‘how’, we decided to go for a benchmarking. It was possible that some other industry (not necessarily the vehicle or tyre industry, but beyond that) may have tackled the same challenge. And the answer was that no one had done it. This was because of the old mindset that competitors cannot share. So we engaged with stakeholders and went through ISO, GS1 etc. and brought about the solution. Our target is to work with entities and not with a single owner of the vehicle or tyre. The intention is to create an ecosystem.

The fact is that the tyre industry was still perceived as an old industry. Something like a beauty product – just a black product placed on the road. However, at the same time, we decided to consider this product as an asset, because from an engineering standpoint, it is the first sensor for the vehicle. Therefore, we can start understanding the friction condition, the road condition, the vehicle behaviour and so on. Earlier, every tyre manufacturer would start building services and solutions starting from this. Hence, we have an engineering angle but also new digital services. In truth, the tyre industry is also working on prognostic services. Ultimately, the concept behind unlocking the potential is to enable services and solutions that may make mobility safer and more sustainable.

Do you have data analysts on your team?
No, we don’t. GDSO acts as the highway controller – we show and provide the ticket to the correct entrance and the correct exit. However, the data and data ownership remain with the tyre manufacturer. We just provide an interface and a platform where the data provided by the tyre companies can be seen. This highway should just be an additional asset to be used and not burden the different stakeholders.

How are you making sure that the data is secure?
Cybersecurity does not really apply to GDSO. However, we want our members to have high standards of cybersecurity. We want the members and tyre manufacturers to sit together and set the standard that they must adopt for cybersecurity to apply to the TIS.

Being a non-profit organisation, what is the source of income for GDSO?
Our only source of income is the membership fees. Also, in any case, every start-up will be sustainable from an economic standpoint as well. And this is what we keep in mind as members, that is, to be sustainable as an organisation. Thus, we are already working on creating new services that we may sell (but not to make profits). The organisation itself is robust enough to be long-lasting.

Is it easy to get more tyre manufacturers on board with GDSO, especially Asian manufacturers who are establishing their base in Europe?
We are already in the spotlight made by the big tyre manufacturers. Besides, different tyre associations were involved in this journey from the very beginning. I am in talks with Japan Automobile Tyre Manufacturers Association (JATMA) about the latest updates in the tyre industry and how they can now apply in order to be members of GDSO as well. Similarly, I am doing the same with other European and American tyre manufacturers. Besides, I also have plans on getting in touch with the Chinese tyre manufacturers. Hence, the momentum is quite good.

Nevertheless, I think the biggest challenge is going to be telling some of the tyre mould companies – which do not have a very global perspective and not a very long business plan – that digitalisation is not an option; it is a must and just a matter of time. I understand that these mould companies tend to concentrate more on daily, manufacturing-oriented activities. They may not have a clear signal of digitalisation as their customers are not demanding it yet. But they can start by having a clear understanding of what will be the long-term view – even if not by implementing digitalisation immediately – and can plan a strategy for the years going forward.

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Tegeta Green Planet and Shine Energy, both affiliated with Tegeta Holding, have launched a joint educational initiative to raise environmental awareness and a sense of responsibility among young people. The project addresses modern challenges such as environmental protection and sustainable development.

Company representatives are visiting schools across Tbilisi to hold informational meetings, presentations and workshops. The programme begins with presentations, followed by interactive games and activities designed to help students retain the information. At the end of each session, participants receive symbolic gifts and prizes as motivation.

Tegeta Green Planet focuses on teaching students the principles of specific waste management, including how to properly handle used tyres, batteries and oils. The sessions explain why proper waste management is essential for environmental protection and how it connects to the circular economy. Meanwhile, Shine Energy educates young people on the importance of energy, its everyday use and why developing renewable and sustainable energy resources is crucial.

The initiative is not limited to schools. In the near future, both organisations will expand their efforts to universities, aiming to broaden awareness about environmental protection, waste management and energy efficiency. The ultimate goal is to foster environmentally responsible attitudes among the younger generation, helping build a more sustainable and conscious society.

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Zeon has been recognised as a Supplier Engagement Leader in the 2025 Supplier Engagement Assessment (SEA) conducted by CDP, a United Kingdom-based international environmental nonprofit organisation. This achievement represents the first time the company has received the highest possible rating in this assessment.

The evaluation measures how corporations address climate change within their supply chains, focusing on responses to the CDP Climate Change Questionnaire across five critical areas. These include governance, emissions targets, Scope 3 emissions management, risk management and overall supplier engagement strategies.

Zeon earned the top rating for its efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions through supplier collaboration, a group-wide initiative, alongside continuous dialogue maintained via procurement activities. Guided by its philosophy of contributing to planetary preservation and human prosperity, Zeon remains committed to sustainable management. The company reaffirmed that it will continue working with suppliers and other stakeholders to tackle climate change and meet societal expectations.

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German chemical group WACKER has announced a price increase of up to 15 percent for its resins, dispersions and dispersible polymer powders produced at its European and US facilities. The adjustment takes effect on 1 June 2026, or as existing customer contracts permit. The move is designed to allow the company’s Polymers division to maintain high product quality, deliver technological innovations and provide superior customer service and technical support. It will also support investments aimed at securing future growth in key markets.

Rising costs for raw materials and logistics have forced the pricing measure, with the Polymers division being particularly affected. The recent conflict in the Middle East has caused significant disruptions across global commodity markets. As a direct result, prices for energy, raw materials and transportation have climbed sharply.

Despite the increase, WACKER remains focused on sustaining its commitment to customer support and long-term capability. The company underscored that the adjustment is necessary to continue meeting market demands while ensuring operational stability and future-oriented development across its focus markets.

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Pirelli North America has launched its first closed-loop circular recycling initiative, marking a significant step in the company’s broader strategy to increase recycled and bio‑based content in its tyre production. The project has received the Tire Recycling Foundation’s Value Chain Collaboration Award.

The programme recovers scrap tyres generated during Pirelli’s own North American manufacturing process. These materials are sent to Bolder Industries, which applies ISCC PLUS‑certified pyrolysis technology to produce BolderBlack recovered carbon black. Pirelli then reintroduces this material into new tyre production at its North American facilities, partially replacing virgin carbon black. The effort is part of a wider Pirelli plan to expand such industrial ecosystems across the group’s production network, aiming to valorise waste by reintegrating recovered materials into tyre manufacturing.

Beyond the award, the initiative reflects Pirelli’s broader circularity approach, which includes ongoing work to boost recycled and bio‑based material usage. The company targets over 80 percent bio‑based and recycled content in its best‑performing products and forty percent in total production by 2030.

Claudio Zanardo, CEO, Pirelli North America, said, "The Rome plant is one of the most technologically advanced manufacturing facilities in Pirelli. This initiative reflects an approach focused on increasing the use of recovered materials within existing production processes. It is part of a broader effort to gradually integrate raw materials derived from recycled resources into our products while maintaining consistency in performance and quality."

Tony Wibbeler, CEO, Bolder Industries, said, "Our collaboration demonstrates that a traceable, mass-balance approach to tyre-to-tyre circularity is not only achievable, but it's ready to scale inside a premium manufacturing environment, meeting real performance and certification requirements at every step. This is the kind of progress the industry has been working toward for many years."

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