Toyo Tire To Establish European R&D Hub In Serbia, Closing German Facility
- By TT News
- October 10, 2025
Japan’s Toyo Tire Corporation said it would establish a new research and development centre at its Serbian factory by January 2027, whilst shutting its German facility by the end of 2026, as part of efforts to streamline its European operations.
The new R&D laboratories, to be built on the premises of Toyo Tire’s Serbia factory in the municipality of Indjija, will span approximately 4,600 square metres and serve as the company’s European hub for tyre development and materials research.
The move marks a strategic consolidation for the Itami City-based manufacturer, which currently operates R&D centres in Japan, the United States and Germany. The Serbian facility will complete what the company describes as a “global trilateral framework” for research collaboration across three continents.
Toyo Tire President and Chief Executive Takashi Shimizu said the company would focus on developing “new rubber compounds and materials, as well as advancing mixing technology” at the Serbian centre to enhance both productivity and tyre performance.
The facility will concentrate on processing technology, which the company has identified as crucial for meeting increasingly complex and contradictory performance requirements in modern tyre manufacturing. These include lower rolling resistance, higher wet and snow performance, reduced weight, and improved wear resistance.
The Serbian site offers a particular advantage with its on-site proving ground, enabling immediate vehicle testing that is expected to shorten development cycles, the company said.
Toyo Tire, which opened its North American R&D centre in January 2019 and the German facility in November that year, has identified three areas of differentiation: advanced design, customer-oriented product development, and next-generation technology aligned with future societal needs.
Bridgestone Unveils BATTLAX RACING STREET RS12 Motorcycle Tyre
- By TT News
- November 03, 2025
Bridgestone has confirmed a January 2026 launch for its new premium sports motorcycle tyre, the BATTLAX RACING STREET RS12, in North America. Developed under the concept ‘From Circuit to Street,’ this road-legal tyre is engineered to deliver the highest level of dry grip within the BATTLAX lineup by directly incorporating technologies refined in competitive racing.
The RS12 features a specialised compound derived from race tyre development, which works in concert with a newly designed tread pattern. This pattern’s optimised groove ratio enhances overall tyre rigidity and increases the contact area during cornering for superior grip. A significant innovation for the front tyre is the introduction of the HE-MS BELT structure, a technology previously reserved for top-tier global motorcycle races. This flexible belt system equalises contact pressure to provide a further boost in traction.
By integrating these endurance-racing technologies, the RS12 achieves comprehensive performance improvements on the circuit, with a primary focus on dry conditions. The result is a notable reduction in lap times compared to its predecessor, the RS11. Furthermore, the synergistic combination of its compound, pattern and structure ensures that the high grip level is consistently maintained over multiple laps, resisting performance degradation. This gives riders confidence and a more engaging experience across diverse riding scenarios, from aggressive sport riding on dry pavement to tackling winding roads and dedicated track days.
Rubber Board Donates Cleaning Equipment Worth INR 1 Mln to Kottayam Medical College
- By TT News
- November 03, 2025
India's Rubber Board has donated floor cleaning equipment valued at Rs 10 lakh to Kottayam Medical College as part of the Central Government's cleanliness initiative.
The equipment, comprising a scrubber dryer floor cleaning machine and a vacuum cleaner, was handed over at a ceremony held at the medical college on Sunday.
M Vasanthagesan IRS, Executive Director of the Rubber Board, presented the equipment at a meeting presided over by V N Vasavan, Kerala's Minister for Co-operation, Ports and Devaswom.
The event, conducted under the Centre's 'Swachhata Action Plan', also recognised cleaning workers at the medical college.
Dr Varghese Punnoose, Principal of Kottayam Medical College, Dr T K Jayakumar, Superintendent of the institution, and Dr Binoi K Kurien, Secretary in-charge of the Rubber Board, addressed the gathering.
The Rubber Board, a statutory body under the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, oversees development and regulation of India's rubber industry.
Apollo Tyres Expands Industry-Academia Collaboration
- By TT News
- October 31, 2025
Apollo Tyres’ Chennai Plant has formalised a multi-institutional partnership through a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with five esteemed engineering colleges from Kerala, Odisha and Tamil Nadu. This strategic alliance is designed to fortify the nexus between industry and academia, with a focused objective of developing a robust, industry-ready talent pool to meet future sector demands. The collaboration represents a significant investment in the human capital pipeline, directly linking academic output with corporate needs.
The collaborating institutions in this forward-looking initiative are SASTRA University, SRM TRP Engineering College, JJ College Of Engineering & Technology, Ma'din Academy and Nilachal Polytechnic. The partnership’s framework encompasses a comprehensive suite of initiatives aimed at mutual development. For students, it provides a structured pathway to employment, including placement assurances during their final year and enhanced campus hiring opportunities. To bridge theoretical knowledge with practical application, the programme will facilitate organised industry visits to Apollo’s manufacturing facility, offering students firsthand exposure to modern production processes. Complementing this, a series of expert-led sessions, technical lectures and seminars will be delivered by in-house professionals from Apollo Tyres, ensuring the curriculum remains aligned with evolving industry practices.
This symbiotic engagement yields significant strategic benefits for all stakeholders. Students gain invaluable industry awareness and confidence, while academic institutions enhance their curriculum's practical relevance. For Apollo Tyres, the initiative enables the early identification and nurturing of prospective talent, effectively streamlining recruitment and fostering a positive perception of manufacturing careers.
Wacker Chemie Cuts Outlook As Weak Demand Hits Q3 Earnings
- By TT News
- October 30, 2025
German chemicals group Wacker Chemie lowered its full-year outlook after third-quarter profit fell by nearly a quarter, hit by weak demand and intense competition from China.
The Munich-based company, which makes silicones and polysilicon for semiconductors and solar panels, reported earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) of 112 million euros ($121.6 million) for the July-September period, down 23 percent from 145 million euros a year earlier.
Sales fell 6 percent to 1.34 billion euros from 1.43 billion euros, weighed down by lower prices and unfavourable currency effects.
The results were broadly in line with analyst expectations, which had forecast sales of 1.37 billion euros and EBITDA of 101 million euros, according to Vara Research.
Wacker swung to an operating loss of 20 million euros in the quarter, from a profit of 30 million euros a year ago, whilst net income turned negative to 82 million euros, compared with a profit of 34 million euros.
“The chemical industry is under pressure – worldwide, but in Europe in particular. The economic situation is tense, and market demand is weak. At the same time, the market environment is changing, and competitive pressure is high – especially from China. And this is something that we are experiencing at WACKER as well,” Chief Executive Christian Hartel said.
“Like many other companies, we had to lower our full-year forecast in the middle of this year. Even though we closed Q3 in line with market expectations, sales and earnings were again down year on year in almost all business divisions,” he said.
Wacker launched a comprehensive cost-cutting programme in October aimed at achieving significant savings in production and administration, with implementation planned to begin in the first quarter of 2026.
The company now expects full-year sales at the lower end of its previously forecast range of 5.5 billion to 5.9 billion euros, with EBITDA in the lower half of its 500 million to 700 million euro range. It also anticipates a negative net result for the year, significantly below the previous year.
The company’s silicones division, its most significant business, saw sales decline 7 percent to 673 million euros, whilst EBITDA fell 19 percent to 86 million euros. The polysilicon unit, which serves both solar and semiconductor markets, reported a 40 percent drop in EBITDA to 18 million euros, as low prices and exchange-rate effects offset strong hyperpure polysilicon performance in semiconductors.
Wacker’s workforce declined to 16,616 employees at the end of September from 16,724 three months earlier.
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