The winners of this year’s Tire Technology International Awards for Innovation and Excellence have been announced. The awards, which bring out the very best of innovations and achievements across the tyre industry during the last 12 months, were presented at Deutsche Messe during Tire Technology Expo 2025 this week.

The Tire Technology International Awards for Innovation and Excellence, which include 12 categories, are an opportunity to recognise the individual accomplishments of some outstanding people while also celebrating recent developments in tyre technology and the industry's transition to a greener and more sustainable one. A group of international journalists and business professionals officiate the awards, which are organised by Tire Technology International magazine.

In the environmental development section, the awards featured three categories. The award for the first category, Advances in Tyre Design, was won by Goodyear for its ElectricDrive Sustainable-Material (EDS) tyre, which represents a significant milestone in Goodyear’s journey towards a more sustainable future. The award for Environmental Achievement of the Year in manufacturing was presented to Continental for the company’s achievements at its Lousado plant in Portugal, which can produce tyres CO2-neutrally at the plant. The Environmental Achievement – Industry Contribution award was won by Nokian Tyres for the world’s first full-scale tyre factory with zero CO2 emissions that it opened in Oradea, Romania.

The Materials Innovation of the Year award was presented to Bekaert for Mega Tensile, a next-generation reinforcement solution that offers a range of sustainability benefits, whereas the R&D Breakthrough of the Year award was won by Sumitomo Rubber Industries for its Active Tread technology, which switches the mechanical properties of the tread compound based on changes in road conditions. VMI won the award for Tire Manufacturing Innovation of the Year for its MAXX and MILEXX platforms, a full drum monitoring system for the carcass package.

The 2025 Industry Supplier of the Year award was presented to ARP Technologies for its multiple innovations in the tyre curing sector, including servomotor-driven manipulators, new insulation technologies, automated AGV-based mould exchange and automatic bladder exchange technology. Bridgestone emerged as the winner in the Tire Concept of the Year category for its Lunar concept tire, whereas Michelin won the Tire of the Year award with its Primacy 5 in a fierce competition between five outstanding designs. The last main award of the night, the Tire Manufacturer of the Year, was won by Continental.

The Young Scientist Prize for 2025 was given to Katerina Filzer, a PhD student at Twente University in the Netherlands, for her presentation titled ‘An Innovative Method to Incorporate a Devulcanisation Aid into Rubber’. Finally, the Lifetime Achievement Award for this year was presented to Professor Anke Blume, Head of Elastomer Technology and Engineering at the University of Twente.

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Marangoni has reinforced its OTR division as of January 2026 with the key hires of Eduard Mundt and Dominik Hörmann. Mundt will apply his extensive technical knowledge and industry experience to serve and build partnerships with OTR customers across Southern Germany. Hörmann, an expert in both OTR and TBR segments with specialised retreading knowledge, will oversee operations in Northern, Central and Western Germany, supporting the core OTR business and segments of the TBR market.

This strategic expansion underscores the company’s commitment to deepening its local engagement with both dealers and end users. By enhancing direct customer relationships and fortifying its regional footprint, Marangoni aims to solidify and sustainably grow its standing in the market.

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Nokian Tyres has named Timo Koponen as its incoming Chief Financial Officer and a member of the Management team. He is scheduled to assume the role by 15 April 2026 and will report directly to President and CEO Paolo Pompei. The company’s interim CFO, Jari Huuhtanen, who serves as VP of Group Business Control, will continue in that capacity until Koponen officially begins.

Koponen brings extensive financial and executive experience to Nokian Tyres, most recently serving as the CFO and a member of the Leadership Team at Normet, a prominent global provider of mining and tunnelling technology. His professional background includes a series of senior roles in finance and business leadership across several industrial corporations. Before his tenure at Normet, he held significant positions at Lamor Corporation, Wärtsilä, Hackman and Konecranes.

Koponen holds degrees in Master of Science in Economics and Business Administration. His appointment is part of Nokian Tyres' strategic leadership planning, ensuring a structured transition in its financial leadership.

Paolo Pompei, President and CEO, Nokian Tyres, said, “I am pleased to welcome Timo Koponen to Nokian Tyres. His extensive experience in finance and operations within publicly listed companies, combined with his leadership in international business and major transformations, will be a valuable asset as we move into the next stages of our development. I also want to express my sincere gratitude to Jari Huuhtanen for his outstanding contribution as interim CFO and his role as a strong partner in our transformation. I look forward to continuing our journey together with Jari as a key leader within Timo’s team.”

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Magna Tyres Group has appointed Ruud Leijtens as the new Sales Manager for Scandinavia. In this position, he will dedicate his efforts to expanding the company's network across the Scandinavian region.

Leijtens will focus on building strong partnerships with customers and creating new opportunities for the brand. The company considers his experience and energy a valuable addition to the team and looks forward to strengthening its commercial activities in Scandinavia with him on board to achieve its strategic goals for the market.

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The Indian Rubber Institute (IRI), a non-profit professional body focussing on the tyre and rubber industry, has officially announced its flagship biennial conference, ‘IRI-CON’26’. IRI Gujarat and Rajasthan Branch have jointly organised the event. 

Scheduled to take place on 30th and 31st January 2026 at the Hotel Sayaji in Vadodara, Gujarat, the event serves as a critical junction for technocrats, researchers, and industry leaders to navigate the sector's rapidly evolving technological and sustainability priorities.

The choice of Vadodara as the host city underscores Gujarat’s status as a formidable powerhouse for elastomers and rubber manufacturing. The region serves as a strategic base for global and domestic tyre giants, including Apollo Tyres, CEAT, BKT, MRF and JK Tyre & Industries, while hosting a robust network of suppliers specialising in carbon black, silica, textiles and rubber chemicals. 

IRI-CON' 26' is supported by Ravi Enterprises, Kobelco Industrial Machinery India, Panama Petrochem, Pukhraj Additives and Beakert Industries as Platinum sponsors. Rajsha Chemicals, Madhu Silica, Balkrishna Industries and Madura Industrial Textiles are the Gold sponsors. On the other hand, Singh Plasticisers and Resins, Raj Petro Specialties, Nynas Napthenics, OCCL, 20 Micros, Sampann Utpadan India, ISRPL, Polyplas Global, Aksharchem India, Rubber King Tyre and Northwest Group are Silver Sponsors.

Lanxess India, Witnmans Industries, Epsilon Holdings, Kuraray India, Rubamin, Tinna Rubber and Infrastructure, Chem-Trend Chemicals, Dawsun Exim Corp, JK Tyre & Industries, Galaxy Chem & Machiner, Gujarat Bondchem and Silox India are the Bronze sponsors.

Lastly, MLA Industries, FINORCHEM, Tata Chemicals, Reliance Industries and DCM Shriram Chemicals are the Supporter for the event.

Against this backdrop, the conference theme – ‘Unlocking the Potential of Sustainable Developments in Rubber and Allied Industries’ – reflects an urgent industry-wide commitment to resource efficiency, circular economy principles and responsible manufacturing.

High-Profile Inauguration and Strategic Vision

The conference will commence with a high-powered inaugural session dedicated to global trends and strategic updates. This session features a line-up of some of the most influential figures in the Indian rubber ecosystem. Dr Sujith Nair, Chairman, IRI Gujarat and VP R&D, CEAT, will deliver the welcome speech.

V K Misra, Chairman of IRI and representative of JK Tyres & Industries, will open the proceedings with a vision for the institute’s role in future-proofing the industry. He will be joined by Vasantagesan, IRS, Executive Director of the Rubber Board and Dr R Mukhopadhyay, who will provide a comprehensive overview of global sustainability trends.

Further technical leadership will be provided by Renji Issac, Chairman of ITTAC and representative of CEAT and P K Mohamed, Emeritus Chairman of IRI. The academic foundation of the event is bolstered by the presence of Prof. Dr Kinshuk Naskar from IIT Kharagpur – the institute's long-term partner for technical certification – and Prof. Dr Sabu Thomas of MG University, ensuring a seamless bridge between cutting-edge research and industrial application.

Innovations in Green Chemistry and Circularity

The event will also dive deep into technical breakthroughs that are reshaping the tyre value chain. A significant focus will be placed on ‘Green Tyres’ and the reduction of environmental footprints. Key presentations will feature Bekaert Industries discussing advanced cord solutions for weight reduction, and CEAT showcasing the CIRCL90, a sustainable passenger car tyre.

The shift toward a circular economy is a recurring theme throughout the technical sessions. Epsilon Carbon and Rathi Group India (Capital Carbon) will present on the integration of recovered carbon black (rCB) and the importance of ASTM standards in ensuring market momentum for recycled materials. Meanwhile, Brisil Green Silica and Tata Chemicals are set to discuss the revolutionary transition of producing sustainable silica from agricultural waste, a move that highlights the industry's move away from traditional, energy-intensive sourcing.

A Collaborative Ecosystem

The conference serves as a global stage for a diverse array of companies, including Arlanxeo India, which will present eco-friendly elastomer solutions and Finorchem, focusing on enhancing compound performance through phenolic resin-silica coupling. Other notable participants include LANXESS, TUV Rheinland and TTRC, covering everything from bio-based additives to water-based vulcanising cements and rigorous certification standards.

As regulatory pressures and environmental expectations continue to intensify, IRI-CON’26 stands as a timely and vital forum. By aligning manufacturers, R&D specialists, and academia, the event is positioned to chart a sustainable growth pathway for India’s tyre and rubber ecosystem, ensuring it remains competitive on the global stage while meeting the highest standards of environmental stewardship.

The event will also celebrate the next generation of industry talent with a Best Student Presentation Award Ceremony on the final day.

All-in-all the event is a must-attend for industry professionals, R&D specialists and academics in the tyre and rubber industry. To register click here

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