Last year, Oxford Dictionaries declared that “Unprecedented” is the word of year that chosen by the famous English language experts to sum up the preceding 12 months. It’s been more than a year since the pandemic changed the way we live and work, and nothing feels more important than staying connected to our communities. Tyre industry is no exception.

As we all know, the automotive society is changing at rapid pace world-wide due to various factors such as new customer trends, growth of middle class and new mobility concepts. The performance requirements of tyres continue to rise ever higher, meaning that even further advancement in tyre technology as well as fighting with complex issues are now our new normal. The requirements of tyre performance parameters are much greater than past therefore now we work with “octagon,” instead of historically used “triangle.”

Today, we are talking about “Desired performance” instead of “Prioritised performance” which covers all required factors as well as sustainable green product concept. As we all know, many tyre manufacturers have announced their aggressive plans to have “carbon-neutral” products and aimed to adopt renewable materials and sustainable solutions.

As noted earlier, there are also additional challenges facing mobility and there are many new topics. In this article as TIC, we focused some of the hot topics to be involved by tyre companies. The below topics will force fundamental changes and our industry is going to be more complex. We need to understand those which would affect market dynamics, breakthrough developments and mobility revolutions.

We believe that a holistic approach is needed to see the future as well as new opportunities and treats. TIC-Tire Industry Consulting’s recommendations are given for some of the important areas, which should be involved by tyre manufacturers in order to continue their business.

Air-Free tyres

The airless concept tyre is one of the initiatives aimed towards many tyre manufacture’s long-term vision of the use of sustainable materials. Many of tyre manufacturers revealed their second or third generation air free technologies by featuring improved load-bearing capabilities, driving performance and environmental design. However, there are a lot of works to be made before air free tyres available for customers. Anyone looking for the future of tyre industry needs to involve Air Free tyre technology. Although it is very hard to estimate, we believe CAGR would be reached 3-4% within ten years globally.

Sustainable solutions

This is one of the most popular topics for automotive industry since many years by aiming CO₂ emission reduction. The motivations are: increasing pressure from legislation to move to zero CO_2, EV sales booming in many countries and consumers are increasingly seeking to buy from environmentally responsible companies. Main players have announced very challenging targets to use all-sustainable materials by 2030 and 2050. Tyre industry has to follow this path and needs to do fundamental changes regarding all processes such as R&D, supply chain and others. We believe that tyre industry should implement multiple technological innovations for sustainable solutions by working with their suppliers. In order to keep the competition, tyre manufacturers should: have a Science Based Target (SBT) for sustainability, engage with suppliers for joint activities and improve R&D activities regarding new materials, new designs and higher the usage of recycled materials.

EV tyres

Global automotive sector is responsible for 15% of global GHG emission and Paris agreement targeted to have “zero” GHG emission by 2050 to limit global warming. This is a very challenging target ever seen that committed by all countries. Private sector is co-responsible for implementation and rapid fleet electrification is one of the on-going solution items. OEMs have set the pace for CO₂ reduction and tyre manufacturers should have the EV tyre that meets “desired performance” as a sustainable green product.

The best example would be Germany , that aims to have 14M electric cars in 2030 by having almost 30% share of total car and electric passenger car new sales would reach to 75-80%  of total cars sale in 2030. Those figures show how big opportunity is exist for EV tyre manufacturers for OE and replacement markets. In that respect, we should continue to improve New Product Development (NPD) process even harder by expanding R&D efforts.

Artificial Intelligence

One of the important breakthrough innovations is AI and now widely use in all industries. We have seen many new applications by using AI in tyre industry too. Some of the areas would be sensor adoptions, prediction of compound physical properties, data mining in production processes and performance predictions during service time such a wear life and others. As TIC, we see AI as a “white space” for tyre manufactures that needs special skills as well as knowledge to adapt AI to existing systems.

Dynamic Testing

This has been performed by many tyre manufacturers using different test methodologies  such as component level, Hil (Hardware-in-the-Loop), ViL (Vehicle-in-the-Loop) test during the development and test & verification states of the product. In addition to those currently available test technologies, there are new developments in testing, such as dynamic driving simulators, in other words DiL (Driver-in-the-Loop). This technology enables tyre manufacturer to test and verify their next-generation tyre designs in virtual environment using the vehicle digital twin, which replicates the actual vehicle including vehicle driving dynamics, with real driver interaction. The DiL will improve the development process and create new opportunities for tyre manufacturers as preferred one. TIC believes in “Speed to market with right solutions and innovation,” and ready to support you. Design & development process duration is getting more and more crucial and all manufacturers are trying to reduce it by using modern simulation and testing technics. We recommend adopting Virtual technology in order to provide the best service to your customers.

As a conclusion, tyre industry is facing a lot of challenges and having very dynamic competition, in that respect the tyre technology and tyre knowledge will be extremely important to compete in the future, more than at any time in the past.

TIC Subject Matter Experts (SMEs) have vast hands-on experiences for above topics and ready to support your activities. We provide specialised technical solutions for challenges and TIC guarantees a high standard of professional-ethical principles that we have kept and developed for years. (TT)

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Infiniteria Europe and Aliapur, a French State-approved eco-organisation, have signed a Memorandum of Understanding to pursue an agreement for supplying end-of-life tyres to two planned Infiniteria recycling plants in France. The MoU outlines intentions for a long-term supply arrangement in which Aliapur would furnish the end-of-life tyres needed to operate both facilities.

The agreement creates a framework for a secure, reliable and sustainable long-term supply chain and provides a foundation for continued development of both projects. Shortlisted sites are being assessed, with environmental impact studies under way. The partnership marks a significant milestone for the projects and reflects both companies’ shared commitment to recovering valuable secondary raw materials from end-of-life tyres, developing more circular industrial value chains and increasing tyre recycling capacity in France.

The collaboration combines Aliapur’s material recovery experience with Infiniteria Europe’s recycling solution development expertise. Both companies aim to build a strong long-term partnership supporting tyre recovery and recycling in France, and they look forward to further strengthening their collaboration as the projects advance through subsequent development stages.

Kajsa Ryttberg-Wallgren, CEO, Infiniteria Europe, said, “This MoU brings our two planned plants in France one step closer to realisation. They will form an important part of our broader ambition to build Europe’s leading business in circular tyre recycling, transforming end-of-life tyres into valuable resources for new uses.”

Mathieu Chardin, Managing Director, Aliapur, said, “Aliapur is proud to have been selected by Infiniteria Europe, an industrial company with proven expertise in tyre pyrolysis technology, as a strategic partner for the supply of raw materials to its future plants in France. This partnership also supports our commitment to France’s reindustrialisation and ecological transition, two priorities at the heart of the Government’s strategy for a more resilient, competitive and sustainable industry.”

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ETRTO held its 62nd General Assembly on 2 October in Nantes, France, drawing strong attendance from Full members and Experts, alongside the TNPF (Travaux de Normalisation des Pneumatiques pour la France) team, UNECE GRBP Chairman, a JATMA delegation and several Honorary members.

The Assembly approved a name change from European Tyre and Rim Technical Organisation to European Tyre, Rim & Valve Technical Organisation while retaining the ETRTO acronym. It also endorsed all 80 Technical Subcommittee resolutions, set for inclusion in the 2027 Standards Manual and Engineering Design Information publications, and amendments to ETRTO Recommendations, due for free publication on the ETRTO website in five languages.

Christian Lerner (Continental) and Peter Roest (Apollo) were elected President and Vice President, respectively, for 2027. Presentations covered UNECE GRBP tyre regulatory trends and TNPF’s role in the French regulatory landscape, while Technical Subcommittee chairmen outlined activity highlights and future trends. ETRTO also demonstrated its new Data Portal, available for the Passenger Car tyre section from early 2027.

Appreciation was extended to Jérôme Barrand (Michelin, current ETRTO President) for organising the Assembly and to TNPF for hosting the Gala Dinner. The 63rd ETRTO General Assembly is scheduled for 1 October 2027.

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Sri Trang Group has been recognised by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) for its efforts to promote financial and investment literacy among employees. Pacharin Anuwongwattanachai, Company Secretary of Sri Trang Agro-Industry Public Company Limited (STA), and Thanawan Sa-ngiamsak, Chief Financial Officer of Sri Trang Gloves (Thailand) Public Company Limited (STGT), accepted the ‘Organization Promoting Financial and Investment Literacy for Employees’ certificates on behalf of their respective companies. The ceremony, held under the SEC's Financial Well-being in Workplace project, took place at the Royal Thai Army Club on Vibhavadi Rangsit Road in Bangkok on 9 October 2026.

The SEC accolade underscores Sri Trang Group's dedication to sustainable business practices, especially the social pillar of sustainability that prioritises comprehensive care for employees' quality of life and well-being. STA advances financial, investment and savings literacy through structured and ongoing financial education programmes. All eight categories of the SEC's online financial and investment lessons have been integrated into the companies' self-learning platforms, allowing staff to build skills independently. Training sessions with SEC experts cover financial and investment planning for salaried employees as well as retirement planning for those aged 50 and above and investment planning tailored to individual needs.

Disciplined saving is further encouraged through income and expense tracking, financial health check-ups and discussion groups in which employees exchange insights on managing provident fund investments with expert guidance. These measures help staff strengthen financial security, ease financial worries and sustainably improve the quality of life for themselves and their families. The approach reflects the Group's care for its people alongside its commitment to good corporate governance, aligning with annual reporting disclosures and the corporate governance assessment criteria for Thai listed companies.

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Pirelli's 23-season run as sole official tyre supplier to the FIM Superbike World Championship ended at Jerez de la Frontera during the Pirelli Spanish Round. The Italian manufacturer helped shape the technical identity of the premier production-derived series through continuous product development and innovation while emphasising tyre safety and reliability and cooperating closely with organisers, the federation, manufacturers and teams.

The firm's connection to production-based motorcycle world championship racing dates back to 1989, when it debuted with the Rumi team's Honda RC30 ridden by reigning world champion Fred Merkel. The American narrowly missed the podium at Donington Park but took pole and won both Hungaroring rounds, putting him on course to defend his crown. After withdrawing from major motorcycle racing championships in the 1990s, Pirelli returned in 2004, when the WorldSBK promoter chose it as sole official tyre supplier under an arrangement that marked a turning point in international motorsport.

The company's strategy was straightforward: turning racing into a genuine development laboratory for motorcyclists. In a championship built on production-derived machines, that meant supplying tyres closely resembling products available to the public rather than solutions created exclusively for competition. Pirelli pursued innovation that progressively redefined racing tyre performance and then fed track knowledge back into its road products.

The DIABLO Superbike, launched in 2005, became a benchmark in the racing slick range, and the DIABLO Supercorsa followed in 2007 for support classes, leading in 2008 to the DIABLO Supercorsa SP road tyre. The SC0 compound arrived for the DIABLO Superbike in 2012 and reached the road range a year later. Rims changed from 16.5 to 17 inches in 2013, and 125/70 front and 200/65 rear sizes were introduced in 2018, followed by the SCX supersoft compound in 2019 and the SCQ extrasoft compound in 2022. From 2020, every class ran on slicks.

Across those 23 seasons, Pirelli's role grew into a proactive partnership supporting the championship's development, producing close relationships first with Infront and later with Dorna that extended to marketing and communication. Initiatives originally conceived for Pirelli's guests were gradually opened to the entire paddock, making the championship more attractive for supporters and a wider audience.

The 2026 season underlined that approach, with Pirelli offering riders 17 front and rear solutions combining standard range products with development specifications. The effort brought constant performance gains and fresh milestones, including 10 all-time lap records and 11 race lap records alongside significant race distance improvements. The journey spanned from James Toseland, the first world champion of the Pirelli era in 2004 aboard the Ducati 999 F04, to Nicolò Bulega, who dominated 2026 on the Ducati Panigale V4 R with wins in 36 races. As this chapter closes, the accumulated knowledge will continue to drive Pirelli's tyre development and its commitment to the highest racing levels.

Giorgio Barbier, Pirelli Motorcycle Racing Director, said, “We have developed racing and road tyres for more than two decades. Although our journey in WorldSBK is coming to an end, we will continue to innovate our racing products to boost on-the-road technology and performance. For more than two decades, we turned WorldSBK into an innovation lab and helped organisers, the federation, manufacturers and teams in its evolution. By constantly creating and fine-tuning new compounds, structures and solutions, we have boosted performance and set new records year after year while also generating technology and expertise that went on to be transferred to road tyres. We pursued this quest right through the final season, and it does not end here: the experience gained in WorldSBK will continue to drive Pirelli's leading edge both in motorsport and on the road.

“Despite operating under a single-tyre supplier system and always providing competitive products, our goal has consistently been to improve our game, year after year, by offering state-of-the-art products while paying extremely close attention to market demands. This was especially true in the early years, when end users wanted and needed a pure racing product they could use on the track. We recognised that need, by continuing to develop increasingly better products, and, most of all, by introducing new race-to-road sizes, which became the new benchmark for the sports motorcycles on the market.”

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