The tyre industry gathered to honour outstanding innovation and individual accomplishment over the past year during the Tire Technology Expo 2026 held in Hannover. The Tire Technology International Awards, spanning 13 categories, recognised both technological progress and the commitment to a more sustainable future within the tyre sector. Organised by the Tire Technology International magazine, the winners were selected by an independent panel of journalists and technical experts.

Sustainability was a dominant theme, highlighted by three distinct environmental awards. Bridgestone received the award for tyre design innovation, celebrated for developing a truck tyre composed of 70 percent recycled and renewable materials, a notable industry milestone. In manufacturing, Continental was acknowledged for its significant strides in reducing freshwater consumption during production with the Environmental Achievement of the Year – Manufacturing award. The Environmental Achievement – Industry Contribution award went to the BioButterfly project, a collaborative effort involving Michelin, IFP Energies Nouvelles and Axens. This initiative was praised for creating bio-based butadiene from bioethanol, presenting a credible substitute for fossil fuel-derived materials and demonstrating strong potential for immediate industrial application.

Further technical achievements were recognised across several categories. Flexsys earned the Chemicals and Compounding Innovation of the Year award for developing the first practical alternative to the antioxidant 6PPD after extensive research. Teijin Aramid was honoured with the Materials Innovation of the Year award for industrialisation of its high-performance Twaron Next para-aramid fibre. A collaborative R&D breakthrough by Goodyear and TNO, which integrates tyre intelligence directly into a vehicle's automatic emergency braking systems to enhance safety, won the R&D Breakthrough of the Year award. In manufacturing equipment, Comerio Ercole’s advanced modular calendering line, Zeus, won the Tire Manufacturing Innovation of the Year award. Uzer Makina, a long-time finalist, was finally named Tyre Industry Supplier of the Year.

The event also celebrated conceptual and product excellence. Michelin had a particularly successful evening, first winning the Tire Concept of the Year award for its Lunar Airless Wheel, designed to withstand the extreme conditions on the moon. The company then claimed the highly anticipated Tire of the Year award for its Primacy 5 Energy, a tyre noted by the jury for achieving top EU label ratings in most sizes while offering improved longevity and reduced emissions compared to its predecessor. In the final major category, Continental was named Tire Manufacturer of the Year for the second consecutive year and the fifth time overall, following a review of the top manufacturers' yearly contributions.

The awards also highlighted personal achievements within the field. The Young Scientist Prize for 2026 was presented to Max Dixey, a PhD student at Queen Mary University of London, for his compelling presentation on the effects of carbon black activators. Finally, a Lifetime Achievement Award was bestowed upon Michelin’s Pascal Prost. A veteran engineer, researcher and long-time contributor to both the conference and the awards jury, Prost was celebrated by peers and colleagues for his enduring and significant impact on the tyre industry.

Matt Ross, Chairman of the awards and Editor-in-Chief of Tire Technology International, said, “As is now becoming the norm, this year’s awards were incredibly close. Continental and Michelin have picked up multiple awards and should be highly commended, but I’m also happy to see such an array of winners across the whole range of categories. The level of innovation on display across the tyre sector is staggering, and I hope that this year’s awards have captured even a hint of the groundbreaking work taking place to move this industry forward.”

On Frost’s achievement, Ross said, “For as long as I have worked on Tire Technology International and these awards, Pascal has been a valued contributor, a hugely appreciated advisor – and a wonderful sounding board. I would like to join with his peers and friends from across the industry in celebrating his phenomenal contribution to the tyre business.”

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Bridgestone has launched a new range of underground mining tyres engineered to perform in extremely harsh conditions, enabling greater productivity with fewer resources. The VMNT, VMDL and VMMS products are specifically designed for underground applications, where abrasive rock, high moisture and continuous operations create one of the toughest environments for tyres.

All three models debut Bridgestone’s Subterranean technology, allowing haulers to carry heavier loads without raising inflation pressure. This innovation also lowers the risk of cuts, penetrations and costly downtime. The tyres form part of the company’s Moving More with Less philosophy, balancing higher capacity, durability and safety to help operators maximise output underground.

The tyres reduce penetrations by enveloping rocks instead of allowing them to cut into the rubber while preserving grip and operator comfort. The VMNT offers extended wear life for underground haulers, the VMDL uses a unique lug pattern for traction on load and haul dump machines and the VMMS features a smooth grooveless design where traction comes from terrain contact, plus cut-resistant sidewalls. Available sizes include 26.5 R25, 29.5 R29 and 35/65 R33.

This release strengthens Bridgestone’s off-road tyre portfolio and reinforces its commitment to innovative solutions that improve productivity, durability and safety in specialised global applications.

Rob Cole, Key Account Manager – Off Road Tyres, UK and Ireland, Bridgestone, said, “These tyres are specifically designed for the harshest terrains that you’ll ever come across. Underground mines are among the most demanding and challenging environments imaginable. The beauty of these tyres is that they can carry 15 percent extra load capacity without increasing the pressure. Traditionally, the thinking in this sector was to make the casing stronger and simply put more air into the tyre to carry more load. In reality, that can be counterproductive in these conditions.

“If a tyre fails underground, it can fail with a tremendous amount of force, costing operators huge amounts of money in downtime and, more importantly, potentially endangering life. The machines themselves are getting heavier, so the tyre beads have also been strengthened to help carry more load safely and effectively. What Bridgestone has developed here is a tyre range capable of handling the severe realities of underground mining while helping operators move more with less.”

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The Yokohama Rubber Co., Ltd. has confirmed that its flagship ADVAN brand tyres powered the JR2 Class victor at 2026 WRC FORUM8 Rally Japan, the seventh round of the FIA World Rally Championship. The race took place from 28 to 31 May on courses spanning Japan’s Aichi and Gifu prefectures.

The ADVAN A051T tarmac rally tyres delivered the grip, control and wear resistance essential for navigating the event’s technically demanding stages under high surface temperatures. The JR2 Class is designated for national and regional rally vehicles with engine displacements above 1600 cc and up to 2500 cc. The winning car was a TOYOTA 86 fielded by K-ONE RACING TEAM, driven by Yuta Yamamoto and Shizuka Takehara.

Their well-coordinated, precision driving, combined with the ADVAN A051T tyres’ performance, allowed them to clock the fastest time on every stage except SS10, where a Notional Time was applied. The pair finished over 17 minutes ahead of the second-place car. Yamamoto has now claimed first place in the JR2 Class at Rally Japan for five consecutive years, with ADVAN tyres contributing each time.

Beyond Rally Japan, Yamamoto also competes in the Japanese Rally Championship, where he has secured the JN-3 class series title for three straight years, again supported by ADVAN rally tyres. Rally Japan is the country’s round of the WRC, which ranks alongside Formula 1 and the FIA World Endurance Championship as a premier global motorsport series. The competition is run entirely on tarmac roads, and this year’s WRC calendar features 14 rounds across different nations worldwide.

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Tyres Europe has responded to the European Commission’s recent policy package on the EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR), offering qualified support for measures that reduce red tape. Industry representatives have pointed to proposed exemptions for retreaded and test tyres as a positive step, arguing these products do not present the same supply chain traceability risks as standard new tyres. The move is seen as a way to prevent unnecessary administrative costs for businesses.

A significant point of clarity within the Commission’s documents involves the dual legal status of tyre makers. Under the new framework, manufacturers are considered operators when importing natural rubber but become first downstream operators when selling finished goods. Tyres Europe has endorsed this distinction, stating it prevents the needless circulation of due diligence statement numbers after the raw material has already been cleared at the border. The association believes the same rationale should apply to imported finished tyres, which have already satisfied verification requirements upon entry.

Nevertheless, serious practical hurdles remain, particularly concerning the EUDR’s digital infrastructure. The tyre sector routinely mixes domestically produced and imported tyres within the same warehouses for extended periods, forcing companies to repeatedly consolidate large volumes of due diligence references for customer shipments. Although the Commission has acknowledged the necessity of grouping tools, the current design of the Information System may undermine these simplified procedures. Industry leaders warn that without technically sound solutions, system resilience could be compromised.

Tyres Europe has formally requested that the EUDR’s existing implementation deadline stay unchanged. Instead of delaying the rules, the group urges policymakers to resolve unresolved operational issues through narrowly tailored fixes. The ultimate goal is to prevent duplicate transmission obligations wherever prior due diligence can be clearly demonstrated, ensuring that supply chains remain functional without sacrificing regulatory oversight.

Adam McCarthy, Secretary General, Tyres Europe, said, “The tyre industry supports the objectives of the EUDR and is ready to implement it. After years of preparation, companies now need implementation certainty. The priority now should be to ensure that the remaining operational issues are addressed through targeted refinements and further implementation guidance, rather than through any reopening of the Regulation itself.”

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The Yokohama Rubber Co., Ltd. has been named a ‘Supplier Engagement Leader’, the top ranking in the 2025 Supplier Engagement Assessment by CDP, a global environmental nonprofit focused on a sustainable economy. This marks the second consecutive year the company has received the highest rating.

The CDP assessment examines how businesses effectively collaborate with suppliers on climate change issues, based on five criteria from its climate questionnaire: governance and strategy, emissions targets, Scope 3 emissions, risk management and supplier cooperation. Yokohama Rubber aims to achieve net zero CO₂ emissions from its own operations by 2050 and has disclosed Scope 3 emissions since 2013.

To address supply chain climate impact, the company created the Yokohama Green Procurement Guidelines with suppliers to promote eco-friendly raw materials. It also holds annual CSR briefings for suppliers on carbon neutrality. Under its ‘Caring for the Future’ sustainability slogan, Yokohama Rubber continues to generate shared value by tackling social issues through business activities.

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