The Tire Society has announced the Keynote Speaker, Plenary Lecturer and the Call for Papers, to be considered for presentation at the 42^nd Annual Conference, to be held from 12-13 September, 2023 at the University of Akron, Ohio. The conference is attended by engineers and scientists from the tyre and vehicle industries, academia and government agencies from around the world, to share advances, discuss and learn about innovations that will drive the tyre industry in the years ahead. 

Keynote speaker
This year’s keynote speaker will be David Johansen, Vice-President – Technical at Sumitomo Rubber USA. Johansen has over 25 years of industry experience, joining Sumitomo in 2015, and prior to that, Goodyear, with expertise in tyre design, vehicle testing and simulation, and manufacturing. He has held a number of leadership positions over the years at Sumitomo and Goodyear, including Manager of Tyre Design at Sumitomo from 2017 through 2019, just prior to assuming his current position. He holds a Master of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering from Michigan Technological University and is a member of US Tire Manufacturers Association.

Plenary lecture
The second day of the conference will be anchored by the plenary lecture featuring Burkhard Wies, Vice President – Innovation and Applied Research R&D Tyres at Continental AG. The topic of his talk will be ‘Challenges and Opportunities of Intelligent Tyres to Support Vehicle Performance and Services’. Dr Wies has held a number of management positions in tyre development and industrialisation for replacement and original equipment, since he joined Continental in 1999. Prior to that, he was a tyre development engineer and section head at Uniroyal Englebert Gmh in Aachen, Germany. He is a Program Committee member of VDI (German Association of Engineers) and, for 18 years, was Program Manager for Tires-Suspension- Road VDI-Congress. Dr Wies is a member of the Tire Society Executive Committee Board. He holds a PhD in Mechanical Engineering at Technical University RWTH Aachen and lectures at Leibniz University, Hannover, Germany.

Call for papers
The Tire Society actively encourages students and young professionals to participate, with markedly reduced fees and as presenters, providing opportunities to gain experience, develop leadership skills and network with professionals. Full-time university students are invited to submit their original research for presentation and consideration for publication in the Tire Science and Technology Journal, and so will be eligible for a cash award. Visit here for more details: https://www.tiresociety.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2023/01/1st-Student-Call-for-Papers-2023-v3.pdf 

For the second year running, students can participate at the conference site in person in the Poster Session. The poster presentation provides an opportunity for student presenters to meet and interact in person with scientists and leaders from the tyre industry. Besides the poster, the students would prepare a two-minute video summarising their poster, which will be played within the conference. And, with the submission of a technical note, the student would be placed in competition for consideration for the best poster presentation cash award. Would-be manuscript or poster student presenters have until 29 April, 2023 to be considered.

Presenters at the conference can submit abstracts for consideration through 29 April, 2023 for presentations where the content can be conveyed in 15-20 minutes, including a question/answer period. The theme of the conference is ‘The Intelligent Tire’ but submissions can cover advances on wide ranging topics, including tyre performance and vehicle systems, tyre materials, tyre/road interaction, emerging technology and tyre industry trends, data science and virtual design. Manuscripts will be considered for publication in the Tire Science and Technology Journal.

For more information about the conference, contact conference@tiresociety.org or for more information about the Tire Society, visit www.tiresociety.org

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Kraton Corporation, a leading global producer of speciality polymers and high-value bio-based chemicals derived from pine wood pulping co-products, has named Sangwoo Ryu as its new Chief Executive Officer. Ryu possesses over 25 years of leadership in finance and operations within international markets. He is currently the CEO of Cariflex Pte Ltd, a former Kraton spin-off now under DL Chemical, where he initially served as Chief Financial Officer starting in February 2020. He assumed the Cariflex CEO role in April 2025 following the promotion of its former CEO, Prakash Kolluri, to President of Kraton's Polymer business.

Ryu’s deep expertise in financial strategy, investment controls and operational planning is expected to strengthen Kraton’s standing as a reliable leader in global Pine Chemical and Polymers markets. In his new position, he will collaborate with Kraton’s Executive Leadership, Board of Directors and Cariflex Leadership to guide strategic decisions and operational excellence, reinforcing the company’s commitment to sustained growth and organisational stability.

Ryu said, “I want to express my gratitude towards the members of the Board of Directors and the Kraton Leadership Team for their unwavering dedication to Kraton’s success. I’m looking forward to leading Kraton into the next era of excellence, building upon the strong foundations and principles set forth in our vision and values.”

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As part of its strategic growth into Central Europe, FORNNAX TECHNOLOGY, a global leader in recycling equipment manufacturing, has established a new sales partnership in Germany. The company has appointed industry veteran Dieter Jerschl as its representative for the region to drive the promotion and implementation of its recycling systems. Jerschl’s extensive expertise, built over two decades with prominent firms like BHS, Eldan and Vecoplan, encompasses a deep understanding of diverse waste streams such as tyre, cable, municipal solid waste and e-waste.

This collaboration, initially targeting Germany, Austria and adjacent countries, is designed to be flexible and scalable. Its primary aim is to cultivate a strong project pipeline and solidify FORNNAX’s regional footprint. The partnership extends beyond sales to include comprehensive technical support, with Jerschl’s team providing vital value-added services like installation, maintenance and spare parts assistance. This local service framework is intended to ensure efficient project execution, minimise operational downtime and elevate customer satisfaction.

By leveraging Jerschl’s profound market insight and established networks, FORNNAX seeks to accelerate the adoption of its high-performance shredding and pre-processing technologies. The move underscores the company’s global strategy of embedding local expertise within key markets, which it deems crucial for developing technically sound solutions tailored to specific regional waste challenges. This initiative reinforces FORNNAX’s dedication to innovation and environmental stewardship, advancing its mission to deliver sustainable recycling solutions worldwide.

Jerschl said, “I’ve known FORNNAX for over a decade and have followed their growth closely. What attracted me to this collaboration is their state-of-the-art technology; it is powerful, sustainable, and economically viable. There is great potential to introduce FORNNAX’s innovative systems to more markets across Europe, and I am excited to be part of that journey. We are committed to increasing market awareness and establishing new reference projects across the region. My goal is not only to generate business but to lay the foundation for long-term growth. Ideally, we aim to establish a dedicated FORNNAX legal entity or operational site in Germany over the next five to 10 years.”

Jignesh Kundaria, Director and CEO, FORNNAX, said, “We see tremendous potential in the Central European market. Partnering with someone as experienced and well established as Jerschl gives us a strong foothold and allows us to better serve our customers. This marks a major milestone in our efforts to promote reliable, efficient and future-ready recycling solutions globally.”

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Dr Gerard Nijman of KraussMaffei Extrusion has been selected as the 2026 recipient of the prestigious Fernley H. Banbury Award, one of the rubber industry’s highest international honours, presented by the Rubber Division of the American Chemical Society (ACS). This award annually recognises outstanding scientific and technological contributions to the field.

The award commemorates the inventor of the internal mixer and highlights sustainable innovations in production technology, instrumentation, process control and the development of processing methods for rubber and similar materials. Dr Nijman’s career exemplifies such innovation, having significantly advanced rubber rheology, pioneered new mixing and multiplex extrusion technologies and modernised the production of silica compounds for the tyre industry.

His work has effectively bridged the gap between scientific research and industrial application. Notably, in the 1990s at Vredestein, he introduced novel mixing technologies and multiplex extrusion to tyre manufacturing. He also contributed to pioneering processes for silica compound processing, foundational to technologies like Michelin’s ‘Green Tyre’. Furthermore, his rheology-based designs for extruder screws and flow channels have helped shape enduring industrial standards.

Dr Nijman, who joined KraussMaffei Extrusion in 2017, brings decades of expertise from previous roles at Apollo Tyres Ltd and Vredestein Banden BV. His ongoing collaborations with the German Institute for Rubber Technology (DIK) and the University of Twente have also profoundly influenced his approach. KraussMaffei Extrusion itself is globally recognised for its tyre technology, building on longstanding Berstorff expertise to deliver advanced extrusion solutions for treads, sidewalls, innerliners and other components, as well as high-performance multiplex and calender systems.

The award acknowledges not only his specific technical achievements but also his distinguished career and lasting impact on rubber processing. The official presentation will be held in September 2026 during the Global Polymer Summit in Louisville, Kentucky, US.

Dr Nijman said, “It is a great honour for me to receive the Fernley H. Banbury Award. This recognition confirms the importance of the close connection between research and industrial practice in rubber processing and motivates me to continue to drive forward innovative solutions for our industry.”

Ralf Benack, Managing Director, KraussMaffei Extrusion, said, "We warmly congratulate Dr Nijman on this outstanding award. With his in-depth knowledge, many years of experience and tireless dedication, he has had a decisive influence on the rubber and tyre industry and has further developed our technologies in a targeted manner. This recognition is more than deserved. We are very proud to have Dr Nijman in our team!"

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Michelin has appointed James Dimmock as its new Commercial Communications Manager for the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland. Based at the company's Stoke-on-Trent headquarters, he will report to the Northern European Communications team. In this capacity, Dimmock will oversee all commercial communications, including public relations, social media and influencer partnerships.

His mandate involves crafting the brand's commercial narrative, fostering stronger connections with media and content creators and producing innovative digital content to support the brand's growth. He brings more than two decades of extensive experience with Michelin to the role, having held various senior marketing and communications positions both internationally and domestically. His most recent role was as Social Media and Influencer Manager. He will now lead these efforts locally while integrating with the broader communications team.

John Howe, Managing Director, Michelin UK, said, “James has already made a significant contribution to Michelin communications activity in the UK & ROI. His deep understanding of our business and products, combined with his strategic and creative approach, makes him ideally placed to lead our commercial communications as we continue to evolve our brand.”

Dimmock said, “I am excited to be taking on this new role at Michelin. It is a privilege to continue building on the work we have already achieved and to help drive the next phase of our commercial communications strategy across the UK & ROI.”

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