This year’s Tire Technology International Awards for Innovation and Excellence, held at Deutsche Messe during Tire Technology Expo, featured an expanded array of categories in order to recognise the scope of innovation and achievement that has been showcased over the last 12 months. The winners were announced at an evening drinks reception held at the Deutsche Messe on Tuesday. The night’s winners included Continental, Goodyear, Michelin and Sumitomo Rubber Industries. Now comprising 13 categories, the Tire Technology International Awards for Innovation and Excellence were a celebration of recent advances in tyre technology and progress toward a greener and more sustainable industry. The awards, which were coordinated by Tire Technology International magazine, were officiated by a panel of international journalists and industry experts.

Sustainability in tyre manufacturing
To recognise the increasingly prominent role of sustainability in tyre manufacturing, the new-look awards featured three categories focused on environmental development. Michelin’s 45 percent and 58 percent sustainable material tyre designs picked up the award for Environmental Achievement of the Year – Tire Design. Continental’s invisible rubber marker technology was judged the winner in the Environmental Achievement of the Year – Manufacturing category, and Emissions Analytics’ EQUA Tyre database took home the trophy for Environmental Achievement of the Year – Industry Contribution. Emissions Analytics founder and CEO, Nick Molden, was keen to champion the work of his colleagues.

Other categories
Other new categories for 2023 included Chemicals and Compounding Innovation of the Year, which was won by Nynas’ Nytex BIO 6200 tire oil. Another award was Materials Innovation of the Year, which saw the jury recognise Sumitomo Rubber Industries’ work on synthesised biopolymers. The good news continued for SRI in the category for R&D Breakthrough of the Year, which saw the tyre maker awarded for its research into enzyme evaluation. HF Group was bestowed with the ‘Tire Technology International Supplier Award’.

Goodyear picked up the award for Tire Manufacturing Innovation of the Year, thanks to its groundbreaking small-batch production process used in its factory in Luxembourg. The Tire Industry Supplier of the Year award was presented to HF Group, in recognition of its commitment to digital solutions and its excellent relationships across the industry. Goodyear was also placed first in the Tire Concept of the Year category for work on its 90 percent sustainable material tyre design.

Chris Helsel, Senior Vice President – Global Operations And Chief Technology Officer, Goodyear, said, “Goodyear’s innovative spirit and drive for excellence helps us develop leading products and services that address our customers’ needs for today and tomorrow. Our teams are working on solutions and processes that have the potential to make driving safer, more efficient and more sustainable. We are excited to be recognised for this work and thank Tire Technology International for these esteemed awards.”

Hannover-based Continental was also back at the podium to collect the Tire of the Year Award for the PremiumContact 7, winning a hotly contested new category which looks set to see some battles in the years to come.

Boris Mergell, Head of Research and Development at Continental Tires, who accepted the awards in Hannover, said, “Our commitment to performance, sustainability and safety runs right across our organisation, and it’s fantastic that once again this has been recognised. Winning awards for both our innovative technologies and products is a tremendous motivation for the entire team. At Continental, we aim for safe, cost-effective and more sustainable mobility, while enabling vehicles to perform at their best."

This year, Michelin took home the The Tire Manufacturer of the Year Award, marking the sixth time that the French manufacturer has claimed top spot. The Young Scientist Prize for 2023 was given to Agate Utane, a PhD student at Loughborough University. The award’s jury – which is separate to the 11 central categories – selected Agate and her work, ‘Efficient Tire-Road Friction Testing for Vehicle Handling Applications’.

Jan Prins was the winner of the 2023 Lifetime Achievement Award. Nominated by many of his peers, Prins is a popular winner, and has enjoyed a highly successful career at Jaguar Land Rover since graduating from Delft University of Technology in 1990. Prins recently began heading the judging panel for the Young Scientist Prize. 

Celebrating the tyre industry
Matt Ross, Editor-In-Chief of Tire Technology International and Chairman of the awards, said, “We felt we needed the ability to recognise and celebrate more aspects of this ever-expanding industry. Overhauling the categories gave us the chance to better acknowledge where the really exciting innovation is taking place. It enabled us to focus more on the environmental achievements being developed in multiple areas, and also to zero in on some areas of exciting R&D that didn’t perhaps fit our previous category structure. Judging by the caliber of this year’s shortlist, and the tough time the jury had in choosing their winners, we can expect some fascinating competitions in the coming years.”

For more information about the award winners, visit https://www.tiretechnology-expo.com/en/awards.php 

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JK Tyre & Industries is aiming for double-digit revenue growth in FY2026, outpacing its forecast for single-digit expansion across the broader tyre industry. Managing Director Anshuman Singhania outlined the company’s ambitions during a post-earnings media call, underscoring confidence in demand recovery and strategic market positioning.

Q1 Performance Overview

For the first quarter of FY2026, JK Tyre reported revenue of INR 38.91 billion, with EBITDA at INR 4.24 billion, translating to a margin of 10 percent. Net profit stood at ₹1.55 billion — up 51 percent compared with the previous quarter, but down 21 percent YoY.

Singhania attributed the annual decline to muted original equipment (OE) demand, particularly in truck and bus radial (TBR) volumes, alongside higher raw material costs compared to the same period last year. He also highlighted an adverse impact from the company’s Tornel business in Mexico, which faced uncertainty due to tariffs on exports from Mexico to the United States, dampening volumes.

Resilience in Domestic and Export Markets

Dr Raghupati Singhania, Chairman and Managing Director, JK Tyre & Industries, said, “The growth momentum in domestic markets remained robust in Q1, with JK Tyre clocking a sales growth of 11 percent YoY, as contributed by a steady demand for our products in both replacement as well as OE segments, underscoring JK Tyre’s continued focus on core growth drivers and strengthening market presence.”

“Despite a challenging and uncertain macro-economic environment, exports of passenger car tyres witnessed a strong traction both on QoQ and YoY basis, signifying pull for our products and enhanced brand perception in the global markets,” said Dr Singhania.

Operational efficiencies and strategic pricing supported performance, even as natural rubber prices remained elevated. Subsidiaries Cavendish (India) and Tornel (Mexico) continued to contribute significantly to the group’s consolidated financials.

Operational efficiencies and strategic pricing supported performance, even as natural rubber prices remained elevated. Subsidiaries Cavendish (India) and Tornel (Mexico) continued to contribute significantly to the group’s consolidated financials.

Regarding trade tensions between India and the US, Anshuman Singhania noted that exports from India to the US account for only around 3 percent of JK Tyre’s revenue and could be redirected to markets such as Mexico, Latin America, Brazil and the UAE if required. With zero tariffs in Mexico, JK Tyre can utilise its production base there to meet demand for both passenger and truck radials. The EU and UK, where JK Tyre holds a strong position in the TBR segment, also remain tariff-free.

Capacity expansion

The company’s INR 14 billion capital expenditure plan is progressing on schedule, covering passenger car radial (PCR), TBR and all-steel truck radial projects. For the year, investment is expected to total INR 9-10 billion, aimed at boosting production capacity by 30-40 percent.

A key driver for future profitability is the shift towards premium products. The share of 16-inch and above passenger car tyres in JK Tyre’s portfolio has grown from 18 percent in FY2020 to 25 percent in FY2025, with a target of 40-45 percent over the next two to three years. This change is being fuelled by rising SUV sales, larger rim sizes in entry-level cars and strong export demand.

The company has also developed a complete range of tyres for electric vehicles, spanning commercial truck radials, bus tyres, passenger radials and two/three-wheeler tyres  Major OEMs such as Ashok Leyland’s Switch Mobility and Tata Motors are sourcing these products, including for last-mile connectivity vehicles and newly launched EV buses.

Market Outlook

The replacement market has been a bright spot, with passenger radial volumes up 32 percent year-on-year and truck radial volumes growing in the high single digits. JK Tyre expects demand to strengthen in the second half of FY2026, supported by infrastructure development, a favourable monsoon, potential interest rate cuts, and improved consumer liquidity.

Anshuman Singhania stressed that the worst of raw material price pressures appear to be over, paving the way for margin improvement as the product mix shifts and capacity utilisation rises. With the small car segment’s gradual decline offset by growth in premium categories, JK Tyre remains confident in sustaining momentum.

“Overall, India is poised for growth,” Singhania concluded. “We see positives across the board — from infrastructure push to evolving consumer preferences — and we are well-positioned to capitalise on these trends.”

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Yokohama Rubber has begun supplying its ADVAN V61 tyres as original equipment for BYD’s new SEALION 6 DM-i SUV, marking the Japanese manufacturer’s first OE partnership with the Chinese carmaker.

The SEALION 6 DM-i, a plug-in hybrid SUV launched by BYD Company Ltd. this July, is being factory-fitted with 235/50R19 103V size ADVAN V61 tyres. The announcement comes as Yokohama seeks to grow its footprint in China’s fast-evolving electric and hybrid vehicle market.

The ADVAN V61 is part of Yokohama’s global flagship ADVAN range and is positioned as a premium SUV tyre. The company said the tyre “offers ADVAN’s hallmark premium-grade driving performance, along with a high-level balance of fuel and energy efficiency, handling stability, and quietness, achieving both comfortable city driving and long-distance touring for heavyweight SUVs.”

The SEALION 6 DM-i combines a 1.5-litre naturally aspirated petrol engine producing up to 74kW with an electric motor generating 160kW. Buyers can choose between 18.3 kWh and 26.6 kWh blade battery options, offering electric driving ranges of 93km and 130km, respectively. All models come equipped with advanced driver assistance systems as standard, and the exterior design draws inspiration from the concept of “ocean aesthetics.”

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Sumitomo Rubber Industries Ltd said its subsidiary Dunlop Tyre Japan Ltd has completed a Japan Fair Trade Commission investigation into automotive all-season tyre sales after the regulator approved a commitment plan submitted by the unit.

The probe, which examined the subsidiary’s sales practices, concluded without the commission identifying any violation of Japan’s Antimonopoly Act, Sumitomo Rubber said in a statement.

Under Japan’s commitment procedures, companies can submit plans to address potential competition concerns without admitting wrongdoing, allowing them to resolve investigations while avoiding formal sanctions.

"We deeply apologise for the great trouble and anxiety that we have caused to all concerned, including our clients and business partners,” the tyre maker said.

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Belgian steel wire maker Bekaert reported resilient first-half 2025 earnings as strong cash generation and cost control offset softer sales, but warned that tariffs and currency pressures are weighing on demand.

The company posted consolidated sales of €1.9 billion, down 5.2 percent year-on-year, with volumes declining 2.6 percent and price/mix effects stripping out a further 2.2 percent. Underlying EBIT slipped 16.2 percent to €171 million, delivering a margin of 8.8 percent compared with 9.9 percent a year earlier.

Free cash flow surged to €123 million from €43 million in the prior-year period, driven by a €135 million reduction in working capital and €21 million in cost savings as the company continued to streamline operations and rein in capex. Net debt fell to €327 million from €399 million despite a continuing €200 million share buyback programme, €74 million of which has been completed.

“We have continued to focus on what we can control best – cash flow and costs - and have significantly reduced overheads and working capital in H1 2025,” chief executive Yves Kerstens said. “Equally, I am very pleased with the hard work of our teams fighting for volumes in the current challenging markets.”

He added: “We are also taking further steps to make our business units more autonomous and agile. Therefore, I am very confident that we will come out of the current business environment stronger and more cost competitive than ever before.”

Bekaert said volumes were particularly strong in its Steel Wire Solutions and Rubber Reinforcement divisions in the United States and China, while European and Latin American demand lagged. Its Brazilian joint ventures delivered €24 million in net profit share, up from €20 million a year ago.

However, the group cautioned that growing trade tensions – including a rise in US steel tariffs from 25 percent to 50 percent – and the weakening of the US dollar and Chinese yuan against the euro were eroding pricing power and softening orders.

“Following a period of resilience in Q2, the tariff uncertainty and weakening economic outlook has started to have an impact on demand,” Bekaert said.

The company now expects slightly lower full-year 2025 sales on a like-for-like basis, with an underlying EBIT margin of between 8.0 percent and 8.5 percent, down from 8.8 percent in the first half.

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