Kumho Tire USA has announced a three-year sponsorship extension with Formula Drift. Additionally, drivers Jeff Jones, Andy Hateley, Rome Charpentier, Jack Shanahan, Ryan Litteral and Cody Buchanan will represent Team Kumho in the 2026 Formula Drift Pro Championship. Supported drivers will run Kumho Ecsta V730 tires, engineered for the demanding conditions of competitive driving environments.

“As one of the most popular motorsports in the United States for millennial and Gen Z generations, Formula Drift offers an unparalleled platform to showcase the ultra-high performance capabilities of Kumho tires and we are thrilled to be an official tire sponsor through 2029,” said Shawn Denlein, president of sales and marketing.

Continue reading Three-year extension sees Kumho continue as an official tire of Formula Drift at Tire Technology International.

After years of engineering development and large-scale field testing, Global Air Cylinder Wheels (GACW), the Phoenix-based developer of the Air Suspension Wheel (ASW), has announced a key milestone in the transition from research and development to commercial deployment for 2026, following successful extreme-condition validation trials in Minnesota mining operations.

The recent winter trial subjected the company’s non-pneumatic mechanical wheel system to real-world operating conditions in Minnesota in December, with temperatures ranging from approximately -29°C to -40°C under full production loads and operational conditions. The testing focused on validating suspension performance, tread compounds, lubrication systems, and traction in extreme sub-zero mining conditions.

Continue reading GACW’s Air Suspension Wheel undergoes extreme mining trial ahead of 2026 launch at Tire Technology International.

Black Donuts CEO Kai Hauvala and Nemus business unit CTO Antti Laukkanen explain how the company has become a valued partner to the tire industry, employing state-of-the-art technologies and approaches to develop new production processes and materials – as well as partnering with major players from across the sector in the design of new tires.

They also highlight how Black Donuts can work with customers on their existing facilities to optimize processes and maximize capacities – giving their partners the tools they need to meet the ever-evolving challenges of a dynamic industry.

Laukkanen also highlights how new bio-based and sustainable materials developed by Black Donuts can help tire manufacturers replace fossil fuel-based materials without having to change their production processes.

Continue reading VIDEO | Black Donuts’ Kai Hauvala and Antti Laukkanen explain how they became a one-stop shop for the tire industry at Tire Technology International.

Troester acquired the Turkish company Otomasyon in 2025 – the company has now been integrated into the Troester Group structure, and operates under the name Troester Robotics.

Since launching its first major automated line for the tire industry in 2019, Troester has become an established industry partner, with applications of its technology running reliably for years.

The investment strengthens Troester’s offering in automation and robotics solutions and creates additional synergies for future growth. It also marks an important step in Troester’s long-term strategy of developing autonomous production systems that enable fully integrated and low-labor manufacturing processes.

Continue reading Troester expands company portfolio with Troester Robotics at Tire Technology International.

• The winners of the industry-leading awards were announced during an evening drinks reception at the Deutsche Messe on March 3, 2026
• The winners included Michelin, Continental, Bridgestone and Goodyear, as well as Uzer Makina, Comerio Ercole, Flexsys, Teijin Aramid, Max Dixey and Pascal Prost

This year’s Tire Technology International Awards for Innovation and Excellence, presented at Deutsche Messe during Tire Technology Expo 2026, celebrated the very best innovations and achievements from across the tire sector during the last 12 months. Comprising 13 categories, the awards are not only a celebration of technological advances and progress toward a greener and more sustainable tire industry, but also a chance to acknowledge the personal achievements of some remarkable individuals.

Continue reading The 2026 Tire Technology International Awards for Innovation and Excellence presented in Hannover at Tire Technology International.

Erhardt+Leimer will exhibit at Tire Technology Expo in Hannover, Germany, from March 3 to 5, 2026 (Hall 20, Booth 3000). At the show, the company will focus on EL.Tag, its high-performance machine for preassembling RFID chips into rubber patches that can be integrated directly into tires, thus supporting traceability projects and helping manufacturers prepare for the emerging Digital Product Passport (DPP).

Transparency and traceability are becoming practical requirements in many supply chains. With EL.Tag, Erhardt+Leimer enables an RFID tagging step built around tire-compatible rubber materials. The RFID-enabled rubber tags form the basis for the DPP and provide tangible proof of origin, sustainability, and environmental impact.

Continue reading Erhardt+Leimer to spotlight EL.Tag RFID tag preassembly at Tire Technology Expo at Tire Technology International.

With just over six weeks to go until Tire Technology Expo 2026 gets underway in Hannover, Germany (March 3, 4 & 5), the shortlisted nominations for this year’s Tire Technology International Awards for Innovation and Excellence have been revealed.

The awards are decided by the votes of a panel of experts from the tire industry and academia. The winners will be announced during the expo (Day 1, March 3).

Here’s the shortlist in full:

ENVIRONMENTAL ACHIEVEMENT OF THE YEAR – TIRE DESIGN

• Bridgestone – TBR tire produced with 70% recycled and renewable content
• CEAT – SustainMax-VF tire
• Continental – Conti Urban HA 5 NXT
• Michelin – Car tire with 75% renewable and recycled materials
• Pirelli – P Zero (with 70% bio-based and recycled materials)

ENVIRONMENTAL ACHIEVEMENT OF THE YEAR – MANUFACTURING

• Color Service – Automatic depalletizing and AI handling robot for chemicals weighing systems
• Comerio Ercole – Celemetry
• Continental – Reduction of freshwater use
• Michelin Specialty Materials Recovery (MSMR) plant in Chile
• VMI – Batch-Off Closed Air Circulation

ENVIRONMENTAL ACHIEVEMENT OF THE YEAR – INDUSTRY CONTRIBUTION

• Bekaert – Steel tire reinforcement certification of recycled content
• Bridgestone World Solar Challenge tire
• Continental – Expansion GIZ Project
• Endurica – Advancing tire retreading through oxidation science and predictive modeling
• Michelin – BioButterfly project
• Solvay – Circular highly dispersible silica global industrialization

CHEMICALS AND COMPOUNDING INNOVATION OF THE YEAR

• Flexsys – Alternative to 6PPD
• OCSiAl – Tuball
• Silox – ActiECO+ Green
• Skyhem Chemicals – Ecosky-3103

 MATERIALS INNOVATION OF THE YEAR

• Cabot Corporation – rC Regen CGX1000
• Continental – Synthetic rubber from used cooking oil
• Teijin Aramid – Twaron Next

R&D BREAKTHROUGH OF THE YEAR

• Bridgestone – TRWP vehicle collection method
• Continental – OLRAP
• Falken – Motorsport application of Sensing Core
• Goodyear and TNO — Integration of tire intelligence with AEB systems
• Michelin – Tire Digital Twin

 TIRE MANUFACTURING INNOVATION OF THE YEAR

• Color Service – Automatic depalletizing and AI handling robot for chemicals weighing systems
• Comerio Ercole – Zeus
• VMI – Automated materials handling

 TIRE INDUSTRY SUPPLIER OF THE YEAR

• Black Donuts
• Color Service
• Comerio Ercole
• Uzer Makina
• VMI

 TIRE CONCEPT OF THE YEAR

• Goodyear – Eagle Xplore
• Hankook – Sustainable concept tire
• Kumho – Volume
• Michelin – Lunar Airless Wheel (MiLAW)
• Nexen – Nexist

 TIRE OF THE YEAR

• Apollo Tyres – Aspire 5
• Bridgestone – Potenza Sport Evo
• Continental – VanContact A/S Eco
• Michelin – Primacy 5 Energy
• Pirelli – Cinturato Winter 3

TIRE MANUFACTURER OF THE YEAR

• Bridgestone
• Continental
• Goodyear
• Hankook
• Michelin
• Nova Motorsport

There’s still time to book your free pass to attend Tire Technology Expo in Hannover on March 3, 4 and 5!

Continue reading TTI Awards 2026: Shortlist revealed at Tire Technology International.

With Tire Technology Expo less than two months away, Tire Technology International’s editor-in-chief, Matt Ross, selects his highlights from the packed program of more than 165 speakers.

Tires for autonomous vehicles – current scenario and future technical opportunities for next-generation AVs (Andreas Topp, VP for platform development and Industrialization – Continental Reifen)

MR: Given how close we might be to widespread autonomous vehicle implementation, there’s never been a better time for a look at the state of play for tires on AVs, as well as some exploration of what future opportunities might exist for the tire’s role in systems and operations – after all, as the old adage goes, no matter who’s driving, the tires remain the only touch point between the vehicle and the road.

Continue reading Editor’s choice: The Tire Technology Expo Conference 2026 presentations you can’t afford to miss at Tire Technology International.

Hankook has announced its third ISCC PLUS achievement. The company previously received certification for its Geumsan plant in 2021 and its Rácalmás plant in Hungary in 2023.

At the Daejeon plant, Hankook replaced fossil-based synthetic rubber with bio-circular polymers, reducing the environmental footprint throughout the entire lifecycle, from raw material sourcing to product manufacturing, compared with conventional fossil-based materials. This achievement means the plant has met the stringent certification criteria of ISCC PLUS.

With the certification of the Daejeon plant, Hankook now has a sustainable product manufacturing system spanning original equipment and replacement tires as well as motorsports.

Continue reading Hankook’s Daejeon plant receives ISCC PLUS certification at Tire Technology International.

Goodyear and Citroën have partnered for the launch of the latter’s ELO concept. As part of this collaboration, Goodyear has developed the Eagle Xplore, a bespoke concept tire with features focused around tire connectivity and design.

The tire features an orange sidewall pigment in line with the vehicle’s signature color and also integrates Goodyear SightLine, an advanced suite of tire intelligence technologies, fully connected to the car and accessible via the cockpit and ELO’s app. For the first time, SightLine displays real-time tire pressure directly on the vehicle’s rim through an LED sidebar.

The Eagle Xplore’s tread pattern draws from Goodyear’s iconic Wrangler line, while the LED sidebar shows real-time information on tire pressure and load – green indicates optimal pressure, red signals that adjustment is needed.

Continue reading Goodyear develops Eagle Xplore concept tire for Citroën ELO at Tire Technology International.