To increase its subject area knowledge, the Tire Industry Project (TIP) has added four additional members to its external Assurance Group. Additionally, TIP thanked Dr Masahiko Hirao (Department of Chemical Systems Engineering School of Engineering at the University of Tokyo), the departing member, for his outstanding contributions since 2019.

The Assurance Group, which was established in 2006, provides TIP with guidance on important environmental, social and governance (ESG) issues by introducing an impartial, outside viewpoint. The Group, which is made up of distinguished professionals from a range of academic and scientific domains, offers TIP unbiased advice on strategic initiatives and research.

The four new Assurance Group members, who were selected following a rigorous process, based on their scientific contributions, relevance to TIP’s focus areas and fitment within the group, include Dr Masaharu Motoshita, a Research Group Leader at the National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology, Japan; Dr Iseult Lynch, Chair Professor of Environmental Nanosciences at the School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Birmingham, UK; Dr Oludayo Olusegun Dada, a lead expert and advisor to the African Region Group on Chemicals and Waste Multilateral Environmental Agreements; and Dr John Bucher, an internationally known toxicologist and retired leader of the US National Toxicology Programme.

The Assurance Group members who will continue advising TIP during the 2024-25 work cycle include Dr John Spengler, a professor of Environmental Health at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, US; Dr Emeric Frejafon, currently at Bureau des Recherches Géologiques et Minières, France, scaling up industry innovation, besides being the Chairman of the European Committee for Standardization on Nanotechnologies, France; and Dr How Yong Ng, Adjunct Professor at National University of Singapore (NUS), Changjiang Scholar Professor at Beijing Normal University, China, Fellow of Academy of Engineering Singapore and International Water Association (IWA) and Chair of the IWA Membrane Technology Specialist Group, focusing on sustainable water management and removal of emerging pollutants.

Larisa Kryachkova, Executive Director, TIP, said, “Ever since its inception, the Assurance Group has served as a solid sounding board as well as a check point, helping us stay on track in pursuit of our goals. Their multi-faceted advice over the years has strengthened our scientific understanding of key topics with an external perspective. We are now expanding the Assurance Group with specialist knowledge in the areas of ecotoxicology, human health, environmental impact and environmental policy, in line with our enhanced ambitions for TIP 2.0. With the expanded Assurance Group now in place, we are better poised to pursue a sustainability agenda that is science-based, innovative and pragmatic.”

A member survey of the German Rubber Industry Association (wdk) has come to a conclusion that the situation in Germany as a production location remains worrying. The member survey highlighted that industry sales fell by almost two percent last year. Sales and domestic production were even weaker, with a decrease of three percent compared to the previous year.

Michael Klein, President, wdk, termed this as an ‘overly clear warning signal’ in Frankfurt am Main today with regard to the earnings situation. "While earnings in 2023 were 'only' strained or even threatened the existence of around a quarter of the companies in the industry, this proportion has now increased to more than 40 percent. That is why improving the location conditions must be at the top of the agenda of the next federal government," he said, explaining that more than one in five companies in the industry are already planning to relocate production out of Germany by 2025.

Demand, legislation, energy, sustainability, and specifically, location conditions are the biggest challenges facing the companies in the rubber industry, according to the member survey. Pointing out that 90 percent of companies are feeling an increase in bureaucratic burdens, Klein further added, "This is a clear mandate for politicians. The new federal government must immediately address the issue of reducing bureaucracy - in Germany and in Europe. 13,000 new laws since 2019 are not an achievement, but a burden.”

The European Tyre and Rubber Manufacturers' Association (ETRMA) has sent its recommendations to the public consultation held by the European Commission about the urgent measures that must be taken to ensure the automotive industry's survival in Europe and to pinpoint possible remedies.

The proposals made by ETRMA are intended to reduce bureaucratic burdens, create a legislative climate that will increase competitiveness and advance a broader EU Automotive Action Plan that views the whole automotive supply chain as strategically important.

The main points of ETRMA's recommendations include promoting best-performing tyres and tackling the high energy costs for the industry, establishing sector-specific regulation for safe access to in-vehicle data, developing an EU Rubber Strategy to secure supply chain of raw materials such as natural rubber and including it in list of critical raw materials, equipping the current and future workforce with the skills required to meet increasing demands of the industry, achieving fair and open access to global markets for European tyres with a focus on emerging high-growth regions like India and Indonesia and simplifying the tyre regulatory environment to reduce implementation costs and legal uncertainties to promote investing in R&D and producing in Europe.

As the FIA Formula 1 World Championship hosted an exceptional event at London’s O2 Arena to celebrate and mark its 75th anniversary, Pirelli, who is the global tyre partner of Formula 1, marked the beginning of its own celebration. The year 2025 is special for Pirelli too as it is set to hit the 500 Grands Prix mark during the coming season. On the occasion, the company revealed a version of the Pirelli logo that will be used for all its Formula 1 communication throughout the 2025 season.

Pirelli will reach the 500-mark at the Dutch Grand Prix on 31 August at Zandvoort, having participated in 485 championship events thus far. A week later, Pirelli will host a number of special festivities at its home event in Monza to commemorate this milestone. The company has planned a series of celebration activities, the first of which was the unveiling of the logo.

An analysis of the 50 most important Grands Prix during Pirelli's tenure on the F1 World Championship trail will be the first initiative, and it will be featured on Pirelli.com. The British Grand Prix, which took place at Silverstone on 13 May 1950, was the inaugural round of motor racing's blue riband category. That day, there were 21 cars on the grid, eight of which were equipped with Pirelli tires. All three of the top finishers were Alfa Romeos, with Giuseppe Fagioli and Nino Farina of Italy leading the field ahead of Reg Parnell of England. It was the first chapter in Pirelli's lengthy and continuous history in Formula 1, where the Italian business would provide the tyres this year with the longest record in the sport.

Japanese tyre maker Toyo Tire Corp announced plans to sell an 86 percent stake in its Chinese manufacturing subsidiary to local investment firm Liaoning Hengdasheng Investment Co (LHI), marking a significant scaling back of its operations in the world's largest auto market.

The deal, expected to close by 30 June, comes as Toyo Tire's Zhangjiagang unit has struggled to establish brand recognition and competitive advantage in China's crowded passenger vehicle tyre market. The subsidiary posted an operating loss of 5 million yuan in 2024, compared to a profit of 13 million yuan the previous year.

"TTZ has struggled to fully leverage its competitive advantage as a local manufacturer/supplier, due to slower-than-expected brand and product recognition," Toyo Tire said in a statement.

The Japanese company will retain a 14 percent stake in the Zhangjiagang facility, which was established in 2010. Following the transaction, Toyo Tire plans to supply its Asian markets from its manufacturing bases in Japan and Malaysia.

The company said it would redirect its focus to North America and other high-growth markets, emphasising "flexible and agile business operations" and optimal resource allocation.

The sale price was not disclosed. The deal is expected to be finalised with a formal agreement by 28 February.