Innovation is the key to long-term success for any industrial business, and for the countries where they operate. In this article, Mike Norman, CCO at VMI Holland, explains why protecting IP is a key priority. VMI Group, based in the Netherlands, with operations around the world, is an international leader for tyre building machines.

Long live innovation!

VMI is 75 years old, and no manufacturer stays successful for so many years without a serious commitment to innovation. In the past 20 years, VMI has rewritten the book on automated tyre building. We have done that by creating manufacturing platforms capable of constant evolution, and then adding new innovations and improvements, year by year.

VMI has built a lot of trust in the market as a result of this strategy. Our customers know we invest more than any other comparable business in original R&D, and we make sure that every new idea leads to practical benefit for them.

Our business is built upon our Intellectual Property: our IP. It is what enables us to help customers face their own challenges. We are proud of the innovations we create - and we will protect our IP and our customers’ interests, anywhere, anytime.

Innovation and collaboration

In our experience, innovators like working together. It is exciting and it is a creative experience. You help each other. You get to move, develop and grow faster. You listen to each other, learn from each other and make progress faster as a result.

In the world of tyre development, we know exactly what we bring to the market, and we also know the areas that belong exclusively to our customers. Our products and solutions help make manufacturing processes more efficient, precise, controlled, more easily managed and fully auditable. That is our area, and that is where our IP is focused.

Our customers define the materials, the compounds, their operational characteristics, the different tire constructions and do so by knowing how all of this connects to the expectations and requirements of the automotive industry. That is their territory and we recognise that.

Put their IP and ours together, however, and something exciting happens. The individual tyre manufacturers remain as different and distinctive as ever, but the tyre build process becomes faster, more flexible and efficient, the number of variants available grows and quality standards rise.  

In other words, our ability to innovate helps tyre manufacturers become the best they can be, and also helps them unlock maximum benefit from their own innovations. That is why tyre companies with strong IP of their own are drawn to VMI, because they know we add value to their business, while always maintaining confidentiality.

Why protecting IP matters

Innovation is the fuel that drives business success, and the fastest way to undermine a successful business is to steal and copy its IP. That discourages further investment, while taking away the profits needed for the future.

It also slows down progress for us all. If you cannot defend your own creativity and original thinking, then fewer innovations take place and fewer good ideas are available for customers to use. In the tyre industry, this means that good companies, which want to use the best equipment to achieve the highest quality results for themselves, will lose out.

What is the point in buying the most advanced technology if your less honest, less scrupulous competitor can buy a cheap copy and undercut you on price? And what if you are tempted to buy a cheap copy of the market-leading machine, yourself, just to cut costs? And then find it is not as good as its makers told you? After all, copyists sometimes do not understand what they are copying, which adds serious risk when you buy that kind of machine. It also means that its makers simply cannot give you the service support you need- because they do not know how!

Worse, what happens when the machines bought from a copyist turn out to have stolen IP in their design? And the courts order them to be seized without compensation?

But maybe the most important argument of all for defending other people’s IP is simple self-interest. What would any of us do if our own ideas and innovations are stolen, copied and used against us? We are all part of the same marketplace. We cannot defend our own IP and yet be careless about other people’s. We need to protect innovation and IP completely, end-to-end across the entire industry and in all countries. That is the only way to protect ourselves, as well.

Innovation within the Indian marketplace

So why does a discussion of IP matter to India, in particular? We think Indian manufacturing is at an important stage of development. Despite the problems caused by Covid-19, we see every sign that India will be going through a period of rapid manufacturing growth in the next decade. We expect to see Indian companies, in automotive and related industries, taking a higher proportion of the domestic market and building share overseas, as well.

We have seen this happen in other sectors, after all: in IT, service markets, telecom and pharmaceuticals. Now Indian companies are stepping-up to the challenge in automotive and other sectors, too. Foreign companies operating in the Indian market need to be clear about the contribution they can make. At VMI, we understand what is needed. We will bring the best IP in the world for tyre building, and will work with ambitious, innovative Indian companies to help them develop a global presence. To make that happen, we need to know that the law protects ours- and everyone else’s- IP.

We spoke to Chetan Chadha, a leading IP attorney in Gurgaon, and his view was clear. “The Indian Courts,” he tells us, “have a strong track record of enforcing Intellectual Property Rights, acting to protect patent holders against infringements both by foreign and local Indian offenders.” He cites the example of a series of patent infringement litigations in the telecommunications sector in 2013 and 2014.

“These were a series of high-profile Standard Essential Patent (SEP) litigations,” he recalls, “in which several companies, including companies of Indian and Chinese origin, were sued for infringement of 8 patents, and interim injunction was granted in favour of the Patentee, irrespective of the origin of the allegedly infringing companies. Eventually, damages and injunctions were granted against infringing companies alike, without any bias.”

This legal example set a clear precedent that India has utmost respect for Intellectual Property Rights and will strictly enforce patents in order to protect the integrity of the market and maintain confidence.

VMI has been filing patents in India since 2005 and we expect our presence to deepen and grow in the near future. India’s proud record of defending IP is one of the main reasons why we, along with so many other European companies, are eager to work and trade here.

In this, our 75^th anniversary year, let’s celebrate the potential for a prosperous and profitable future together, working together as innovators in a spirit of mutual respect.

ENDS

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MESNAC participated in the 2026 Tire Technology Expo, held from 3 to 5 March 2026 at the Hannover International Exhibition Center in Germany. At the event, the company presented its advanced technologies and intelligent manufacturing systems, underscoring its role in advancing smart production and sustainable practices within the global rubber industry.

The company’s presence at the expo featured several technological achievements across key stages of tyre production. Its intelligent mixing solution integrated automated film feeding and cutting mechanisms with AI-powered software, enabling full material traceability and automated handling of rubber compounds. In tyre building, the international version of the NPS PCR one-stage building machine demonstrated exceptional performance with a 35-second production cycle per tyre and a fully unmanned operation. MESNAC also highlighted its full range of curing presses, which incorporate patented electric heating technologies to reduce energy use and support flexible, environmentally responsible manufacturing processes.

In addition to product innovations, MESNAC shared its strategic direction focused on smart manufacturing, localised service and sustainability. By leveraging proprietary artificial intelligence solutions, the company provides integrated smart factory projects that enable data-informed and efficient production. To strengthen its global service network, MESNAC is expanding its footprint with production and service centres in Southeast Asia and other regions, ensuring responsive local support. Looking forward, MESNAC is committed to embedding sustainability into its operations, working towards a low-carbon and circular economy for the rubber sector.

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Bridgestone Americas is set to introduce its new Fleet Portal platform at the upcoming Technology and Maintenance Council (TMC) Annual Meeting and Transportation Technology Exhibition, taking place from 16 to 19 March 2026 in Nashville. Designed to streamline and simplify fleet management, the platform consolidates essential digital tools into a single, unified interface to help commercial fleets enhance operational efficiency.

The web-based Fleet Portal brings together various fleet management systems, allowing users to access multiple services with just one login. Key features include oversight of accounts, user permissions, vehicle assets and service records, as well as billing, performance reporting and support resources. The portal also provides direct links to other Bridgestone applications. Integrated within the platform is the Service Dispatch solution, which connects fleets with the Bridgestone Commercial Dealer Network, automates technician deployment and enables comprehensive tracking of service documentation and digital data.

To boost productivity, the platform incorporates automation to analyse data, recommend actions and improve search functionality. Initial features include an automated workflow for service events that reduces duplicate data entry and accelerates tyre repairs based on fleet profiles. A streamlined search function allows quick access to technical documents, troubleshooting guides and reports, while centralised network access provides instant connections to dealer locations and training materials, cutting down on resolution time.

Future enhancements for the Fleet Portal will include AI-powered analytics and advanced workflow automation, aligning with Bridgestone’s broader strategy to integrate artificial intelligence across its customer support tools. At the event, Bridgestone’s booth (#2513) will also feature its latest truck and retread tyres tailored for various applications, with representatives available throughout the exhibition hours.

Josh Holland, Vice President – Network and Fleet Care Solutions, Bridgestone Americas, said, “With the new Fleet Portal, we can centralise all tools and data into a single digital experience for fleets. This integration is key to Bridgestone's customer strategy to connect our fleet solutions in ways that deliver stronger performance with less complexity.”

Steve Hoeft, President – Commercial Truck Group, Bridgestone Americas, said, “Centralising insights and workflows means less manual work, faster decisions and full operational visibility. It’s a major step in the industry’s digital evolution, enabling fleets to move from reactive problem-solving to proactive decision-making and management."

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TROESTER GmbH & Co. KG expanded its automation capabilities in 2025 by acquiring SC OTOMASYON, a Turkish company based in Istanbul. The acquired business now operates as TROESTER Robotics and has been fully integrated into the TROESTER Group structure. This strategic move enhances the company’s expertise in automation and robotics while creating synergies that support future growth.

The acquisition marks an important step in TROESTER’s long-term strategy of developing autonomous production systems that enable fully integrated, low-labour manufacturing processes. Through TROESTER Robotics, the company now gains access to robotic applications across the entire tyre factory, from individual process stations to fully networked production lines. This capability addresses growing global demand for robotic solutions, as manufacturers in Europe, China and North America increasingly face workforce shortages.

With this integration, TROESTER can now meet that demand with comprehensive solutions from a single source. Both teams look forward to working together and jointly advancing technologically leading automation solutions.

Thomas Holzer, CEO, TROESTER GmbH & Co. KG, “The company brings start-up spirit, agility and strong innovative capabilities, while TROESTER contributes decades of experience, established commercial structures, a global sales network and longstanding customer relationships. Together, this creates a clear competitive advantage and a USP that sets us apart in the market.”

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Dunlop (company name: Sumitomo Rubber Industries, Ltd.) has secured the first commercial deployment of its SENSING CORE technology in China. The system's ‘tyre load detection’ and ‘tyre air pressure detection’ functions have been adopted by Chongqing Ruichi Automotive Industry Co., Ltd. (Ruichi) for its new electric commercial vehicle model, the Ruichi C5. This marks both the technology's entry into the Chinese market and the global debut of Dunlop's tyre load detection capability.

The load detection function monitors changes in cargo weight and distribution in real time, feeding data to the vehicle's control system. This reduces driving instability during starting, stopping and turning caused by shifting loads, thereby lessening driver burden and enabling more stable cargo transport. The feature is scheduled for implementation in additional Ruichi models going forward.

This development responds to conditions in China's urban areas, where e-commerce growth has fuelled demand for short-distance delivery services while autonomous driving and driver assistance features gain traction. In vehicles equipped with advanced systems, control logic typically operates based on predetermined load parameters. When actual loads deviate from these assumptions, discrepancies arise that affect driver comfort and cargo stability. Commercial vehicles therefore increasingly require smooth acceleration and deceleration control that remains effective regardless of load conditions.

Ruichi selected Dunlop's technology as an effective solution to these challenges. The system requires no additional sensors and can be installed without modifying existing vehicle configurations, offering significant cost advantages. SENSING CORE analyses wheel speed data alongside vehicle control information from the CAN data stream to detect various conditions including tyre pressure, tread wear and load.

On the Ruichi C5, the load detection function assesses total weight on left and right tyres for front and rear axles according to changes in cargo volume and position. This data optimises torque output during acceleration and brake control based on current load conditions, delivering stable ride quality unaffected by load changes during frequent urban deliveries.

Dunlop pursues this work under its SMART TYRE CONCEPT development philosophy, which aims to deliver high safety and environmental performance for CASE and MaaS applications. SENSING CORE anchors these services and is planned as the company's fourth major business pillar alongside tyres, sports and industrial products.

The challenges of frequent starts and stops during urban deliveries and changing load conditions extend beyond China throughout Asia, including Japan. Building on this adoption, Dunlop aims to expand its presence in both domestic and international markets.

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