Programme
DAY 1 / 17 NOVEMBER 2026
Registration
8:00
Session 1 - The Tire Industry Today
Theme: Top-level perspectives on current challenges & opportunities for global tire makers
9:10
View Speaker
Profile →
KEYNOTE ADDRESS : How European Regulations will lead to changes to tyre design
Adam McCarthy, Secretary General, Tyres Europe
How European Regulations will lead to changes to tyre design
9:30
View Speaker
Profile →
Strategies for tire makers and their suppliers
David Shaw, CEO, Tire Industry Research
This presentation looks at the changes affecting the world of tires and the different strategies adopted by different tire makers including the premium brands; the mid-range brands and some of the less well-known brands, including innovations and investments and responses to tariffs. Those strategies are affecting the upstream supply chain, so this paper also looks at how suppliers to the tire industry can adjust strategies to deal with the changes we are seeing across the world of tires.
10:00
View Speaker
Profile →
To The New Value of Tires: Turning innovation into customer value
Zafer Akduman, President, Turkish Tire Association & CEO, A.D. İletişim Yayıncılık
This is one of the most important commercial challenges facing our industry since tire replacement market exist up to today is which tyre is cheapest . The problem is not necessarily that customers do not care about safety, performance or sustainability. Of course they care.The problem is that we have not always been successful in translating technological innovation into customer value that people -consumers, drivers can easily understand, compare and justify paying for. We have to focus on other themes of market: the changing value of tyres, the premium-versus-budget challenge, electric vehicles, safety and sustainability, and finally, how the entire tyre distribution chain can communicate value more effectively. The main message is simple: The future of our industry will depend not only on how well we manufacture tyres, but also on how effectively we explain why those tyres matter.
Coffee break
10:30
11:00
View Speaker
Profile →
Real Roads, Lower Impact: Making tire performance count in everyday use
Michiel van Koeverden, Manager Regulatory Affairs, Apollo Tyres
Takes a practical view of reducing tyres' environmental footprint beyond compliance, focusing on real-world factors such as tyre pressure, wheel alignment and driving behaviour. Argues that meaningful progress in tire sustainability requires looking beyond headline recycled-content percentages and recognising the environmental impact of tires throughout their use phase. Highlights how relatively simple measures, such as maintaining correct tire pressure and wheel alignment, can contribute to energy efficiency, tire longevity and reduced environmental impact, and calls for greater industry collaboration to translate this awareness into practical action.
11:30
View Speaker
Profile →
Increasing circularity, cutting carbon and capturing value from sustainable innovation
Benoit de Gaudemaris, Director of Sustainable Materials & Closed Loop Ecosystems, Bridgestone West
Customer requests are expanding – the shift to sustainable materials continues but demand for lower-carbon tyres is the latest frontier, also driven by regulatory pressures. The tyre industry needs to meet all of these challenges without compromising sustainability or profitability. Here, Bridgestone offers a perspective on the enablement strategies and partnerships needed to build new and efficient ecosystems…
12:00
PANEL DISCUSSION : Is Europe still leading the way in the development of leading-edge materials, manufacturing and sustainability technologies for the tire?
Panelists include:
Benoit de Gaudemaris,
Bridgestone West
View Speaker
Profile →
Adam McCarthy
Tires Europe
View Speaker
Profile →
David Shaw,
Tire Industry Research
View Speaker
Profile →
Stephan Rau
WDK
View Speaker
Profile →
Zafer Akudman
Turkish Tire Association
* Panel subject to change
12:45
Lunch break
Session 2 - New routes to sustainability
Theme: Leveraging innovation and collaboration to enhance the environmental profile of the global tire industry
13:30
View Speaker
Profile →
Tyre-to-Tyre: A European industrial ecosystem for tyre circularity
Ralf Schwarz, Pyrum Innovations
Marco Marino, Circular Economy Manager at Pirelli
Closing the tyre loop takes more than recovering materials from end-of-life tyres. This project brings together Pirelli, Pyrum, BASF, and Synthos to connect four complementary technologies into one circular value chain at industrial scale. End-of-life and scrap tyres supplied by Pirelli are processed by Pyrum through pyrolysis into tyre pyrolysis oil and recovered carbon black; BASF produces ISCC PLUS certified butadiene and styrene; Synthos produces ISCC+ certified synthetic rubber; and Pirelli reintegrates these materials into new tyres. A certified mass balance approach ensures traceability across the value chain, demonstrating the practical conditions required to scale tyre-to-tyre circularity further.
View Speaker
Profile →
View Speaker
Profile →
14:00
Life cycle thinking in tire manufacturing: The role of synthetic rubber
Christian Doering, R&D Leader Scale-up R&D, Synthos
As environmental footprint becomes an important requirement for the tire industry, reducing impacts without compromising performance, durability or safety requires a holistic view across the value chain. This presentation explores how life cycle thinking can support more sustainable tire manufacturing through material and technology decisions. The role of synthetic rubber will be illustrated through certified circular and renewable feedstocks, manufacturing improvements and value chain collaboration. Drawing on tire related LCA experience, it will also consider how the contribution of synthetic rubber can be evaluated within tire LCAs, supported by transparent and independently verified sustainability assessments. What will the audience learn How life cycle thinking can support informed material and technology decisions in tire manufacturing. How synthetic rubber contributes to tire sustainability through feedstock choices and manufacturing improvements. How tire related LCA experience can help evaluate the contribution of synthetic rubber within a tire LCA. How circular and renewable feedstocks can support efforts to reduce the environmental footprint of tire materials. Why transparent and independently verified sustainability data matters for credible value chain decision making.
14:30
View Speaker
Profile →
View Speaker
Profile →
Reinforcing CASES mobility: The evolving role of tire cord fabric
Ezgi Taman Önen, Technology Manager Tire Reinforcement Materials, KORDSA
Sinan Keykan, Marketing Specialist, KORDSA
Connectivity, autonomous driving, shared mobility, electrification and sustainability (CASES) are redefining what tires must deliver, and tire cord fabric has to adapt to this shift. This presentation links CASES megatrends to four Future Tire needs: low rolling resistance, durability, sustainability and smart connectivity. It also shows how Kordsa's nylon, hybrid, and RFID-enabled solutions turn these needs into measurable value for tire makers.
Coffee break
15:00
15:30
View Speaker
Profile →
View Speaker
Profile →
From compliance to competitive advantage: How circular tire technologies create business value across the value-chain
Francois de Buyl, R&D/TS&D Fellow, Dow Silicones Belgium - MobilityScience™
Przemyslaw Zaprzalski, Innovation Strategist, Recykl
Argue that sustainability is shifting from a regulatory obligation to a genuine commercial advantage in the tire industry. Uses examples from Dow's self-sealing and noise-cancelling tire technologies to show how material innovation can support both performance and circularity, and calls for closer collaboration across the value chain to scale circular tire systems.
16:00
Bio-based reinforcement with Nemus technology
Ilkka Lehtoranta, Head of Tire & Material Development, Black Donuts inc.
Microfibrillated cellulose (MFC) has been studied extensively as a potential renewable reinforcement for tire compounds. However, industrial implementation has remained limited due to challenges associated with cellulose dispersion, compatibility with hydrophobic rubber matrices, and practical integration into conventional tire manufacturing processes. The Nemus Materials™ approach addresses these challenges through a natural rubber-microfibrillated cellulose (NR-MFC) premix produced via wet compounding technology, enabling the reinforcement phase to be established prior to conventional tire mixing operations. This presentation describes the material architecture, processing principles, and reinforcement mechanisms of the NR-MFC premix. Microscopic observations indicate that cellulose fibrils form a distributed reinforcing network within the rubber phase, differing fundamentally from conventional particulate reinforcement systems based on carbon black or silica. Compound development studies in tread formulations are presented to illustrate the influence of the premix on processability, reinforcement efficiency, dynamic mechanical properties, and filler replacement strategies. Results demonstrate that the high aspect ratio of cellulose fibrils can provide effective reinforcement at reduced overall filler loading while maintaining key tire-performance-related characteristics. The presentation further discusses the implications of continuous cellulose reinforcement networks for future tire compound design and the broader utilization of bio-based reinforcement technologies in tire applications.
View Speaker
Profile →
16:30
View Speaker
Profile →
Unpicking the polymer puzzle: Reverse engineering polymer composition of 551 tyres
Nick Molden FRSC, Founder & CEO, Emissions Analytics
Describes a reverse-engineering method using pyrolysis GCxGC-MS to determine tyre polymer composition without relying on manufacturer disclosure, calibrated against known natural rubber/SBR blends. Applied to over 550 tyres sold in the EU and US, the method quantifies key anti-degradants such as 6PPD and tracks how tyre formulations are changing over time. Co-authors Ime Usen and David O'Loughlin.
17:00
PANEL DISCUSSION : Increasing the commercial returns from projects that enhance the performance, safety & sustainability of tires
Panelists include:
Dominique Thielemann
Synthos
View Speaker
Profile →
Marco Marino
Pirelli
View Speaker
Profile →
Przemyslaw Zaprzalski
Recykl
View Speaker
Profile →
Ralf Schwarz
Pyrum Innovations
View Speaker
Profile →
* Panel subject to change
17:45
Networking drinks
DAY 2 / 18 NOVEMBER 2026
Session 1 - Tire industry of the future
Theme: Essential ingredients for a successful tire business going forward
9:00
View Speaker
Profile →
KEYNOTE : Nexen Tire's AI-based tire development process
Jong Myung Kim, Chief Technology Officer, Nexen Tire
9:30
View Speaker
Profile →
Integrated research on tire and road wear particles (TRWP): From formation mechanisms to environmental analysis.
Axel Wildgrube, Manager, OE Tyre Design, Falken Tyre Europe / Sumitomo Rubber
10:00
View Speaker
Profile →
Stripwinding: Strategy & technology
Jan Grashuis, VP Product Management, VMI Group
The tire manufacturing industry faces growing challenges. A key to addressing these challenges lies in the tire tread: by delivering the desired premium features, it secures a differentiated competitive position. At the same time, the tire must be manufactured flexibly and cost-effectively while meeting labeling and sustainability requirements. Conventional extrusion systems are increasingly unable to accommodate advanced, high-tech rubber compounds, limiting production flexibility and slowing innovation. This presentation introduces stripwinding as a strategic and technological solution that directly addresses the limitations of the current solutions. It will explain the technology’s operational advantages and its strategic role in future-proofing tire manufacturing, while maintaining competitive per-tire costs.
Coffee break
10:30
11:00
Redefining tire quality control: Lenovo Edge AI's breakthrough in 360 degree full tire surface inspection solution
Wenming Yu, Director, Edge AI, Tech Incubation Lab, Lenovo Group
Presents an AI-powered inspection system for full tire surface and X-ray inspection, combining large and small models with few-shot learning to detect both known and previously unseen defects. Covers PCR and TBR tires, has been deployed with several top-10 tire manufacturers including ZC Rubber, and reports gains in defect detection, reduced scrap and consistent quality compared with manual inspection.
11:30
View Speaker
Profile →
RFID and industry standards: Enabling an interoperable tire ecosystem from cradle to grave
Pierre Guinault, RFID Product Manager, Michelin
The tire industry is moving toward a future where every tire can be uniquely identified and connected throughout its lifecycle. This presentation explores how RFID, global standards and industry collaboration can provide the foundation for an interoperable tire ecosystem, connecting physical tires with trusted digital information from manufacturing through usage, retreading and end-of-life. Drawing on Michelin’s work with GDSO and industry partners, it will highlight how a standardized digital tire identity can enable traceability, operational efficiency, circularity and new data-driven services.
12:00
PANEL DISCUSSION : THE WAY FORWARD
Targets and forecasts for the global tire industry to 2030
Panelists include:
Marjolein Groeneweg
Synthos Synthetic Rubber
View Speaker
Profile →
Michiel van Koeverden
Apollo Tyres
View Speaker
Profile →
Francois de Buyl
Dow Chemical
View Speaker
Profile →
Kai Hauvala
Black Donuts
* Panel subject to change
13:00
Lunch break
Session 2 - Innovation & New Thinking Forum
14:00
A new way of rubber compounding
Pavel Gorecky, Development Director, Rubreg Technologies s.r.o.
View Speaker
Profile →
What if innovation in rubber compounding meant eliminating a process step rather than adding another one? RUBREG introduces a different approach to manufacturing new rubber compounds by using the polymer resources contained in qualified recycled rubber powder, including material derived from end-of-life tyres (ELT) and other suitable NR/SBR-based rubber products. The technology offers two complementary routes. RUBREG BASE provides an activated rubber intermediate for incorporation into existing compound formulations. RUBREG DIRECT integrates proprietary activation and target-compound formulation into conventional industrial rubber mixing, without requiring an additional stand-alone RUBREG pre-treatment stage or a separately manufactured regenerated-rubber intermediate. The presentation will examine the manufacturing concept, selected laboratory results, industrial processing experience and the economic implications of simplifying the production route. Selected RUBREG formulations indicate calculated raw-material cost reductions of 18–27%, subject to formulation, performance requirements and prevailing input prices. These figures do not represent verified reductions in total manufacturing costs. RUBREG is ready for controlled, application-specific comparisons against manufacturers’ reference compounds, evaluating required properties, processing performance and economics under consistent testing conditions. The central question is not how much recycled material can be added, but how to manufacture the required compound at the best achievable performance and cost.
14:20
View Speaker
Profile →
OxyCycle: Scaling whole tyre valorisation by oxidative devulcanisation, from recovered fractions to a circular truck retread
Fergal Byrne, Addible
At Future Tire 2025, Addible introduced OxyCycle, a process that devulcanises end-of-life tyre rubber by selectively oxidising sulphur crosslinks with a mild, recyclable oxidant. Rather than targeting a single output, OxyCycle valorises the whole tyre: it recovers extracted additives (plasticiser, waxes and processing oils), a soluble unsaturated rubber polymer with preserved C=C functionality, char free carbon black, and clean steel and textile fractions, achieving ~98% overall material recovery. One year on, this presentation reports Addible's progress in maturing OxyCycle from laboratory proof of concept toward an industrially relevant process. Since last year, OxyCycle has advanced from hundreds of grams demonstrations to initial processing at the ~1 kg scale, with defined mass balance and closed loop recovery, advancing the process to TRL 4. A key milestone we are working towards is to demonstrate that the recovered rubber can be reused in a commercial product. Our recovered devulcanised rubber is being re-vulcanised into a truck retread compound, with an initial mechanical evaluation to be shared where results are available at the time of presentation. In line with the conference theme of making innovation pay, we will also introduce Tyrefinery® Hub, an industry engagement initiative through which tyre manufacturers, compounders, recyclers and material producers can engage with OxyCycle as it scales, helping steer development toward real commercial and regulatory needs and gaining priority access to sample evaluation and data as capacity grows.
14:40
View Speaker
Profile →
On the road for new opportunities off road:
New Ggeneration light weight OTR’s with Twaron p-aramid
Botond Szalma, Global Key Account Manager, Teijin Aramid
Off-the-road (OTR) tires operate under extreme loads, abrasive conditions, and high temperatures, where punctures, heat build-up, weight, and limited casing life remain key challenges. This presentation explores the use of Twaron® para-aramid reinforcement as an alternative or complement to steel, PA66, and polyester in radial and bias OTR tires. Potential applications include breaker layers, belt packages, carcass reinforcement, and sidewall protection. With its high strength-to-weight ratio, cut and heat resistance, and corrosion-free performance, Twaron® enables lighter, more durable tires that use less rubber. The resulting benefits include longer service life, improved retreadability, reduced downtime, lower fuel consumption, and enhanced sustainability. In addition, Twaron Next®, containing circular raw materials, helps manufacturers advance their sustainability goals while maintaining the high-performance standards required for demanding OTR applications.
15:00
View Speaker
Profile →
New advances in workflows for transient tire thermal and wear modeling
Tom Ebbott, Managing Director, Endurica Europe SARL
In recent years, Endurica has developed many multi-physics workflows for tires and elastomers. A new capability under development extends workflows for steady-state conditions to fully transient conditions with time-based road loads in order to represent the complex loading histories typical of tires in service or on a track. Methods to predict transient temperature distributions and accumulated treadwear are described together with sample results from a passenger vehicle traversing the Nürburgring north course. Heat source terms due to the frictional energy dissipation at the tread surface are included in the heat transfer model. Predictions show the internal tire component temperatures to remain quasi-steady once the tire is warmed up, but the tread surface temperature rises and falls quickly due to slip in the corners. The workflows combine many capabilities from the Endurica software products, CL, DT, EIE and MP together with co-simulation with major FEA codes like ABAQUS.
15:20
View Speaker
Profile →
From empirical abrasion testing to physics-based tire wear prediction using Thomas Diagram parameters for future tire development
Radek Stoček Assoc. Prof., Centre of Polymer Systems (CPS), Tomas Bata University
Proposes the fracture-mechanics-based Thomas diagram as a physics-based alternative to empirical abrasion testing, linking crack growth parameters to real-world wear and cut-and-chip performance. Argues this gives transferable material parameters for predictive wear simulation and compound development, supporting future regulation such as Euro 7. Co-authors Martin Stenicka, Marek Poschl, Gert Heinrich.
15:40
View Speaker
Profile →
Recovered carbon black and tire pyrolysis oil: What tire makers should expect next
Robert Weibold, Founder and Managing Director, Robert Weibold GmbH
Gives a market readout on recovered carbon black (rCB) and tire pyrolysis oil (TPO), covering production volumes and regional developments, with a focus on Europe. Discusses the standardisation, certification and pricing hurdles that will determine whether rCB can move from pilot projects into mainstream tire use.