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.
Ongoing transformation of the global tire industry (David Shaw, CEO – Tire Industry Research)
MR: I’ll be honest, there’s a few sessions in 2026 taking a broader look at the trends and challenges currently facing the tire industry. I’ve gone for David Shaw’s presentation here (I know David from his work on the jury of the Tire Technology International Awards), and he’s an excellent person to impart his insight and expertise on the industry and how it’s changing – but any and all of the speakers in this year’s stream (The tire industry – outlook, challenges and developments) are well worth your time.
Improvement of the abrasion test in accordance with the new Euro 7 regulations (Günter Leister, CEO – twms-consulting)
MR: You don’t get to win the Lifetime Achievement Award from the TTI Awards without knowing your stuff – and Günter Leister is certainly a speaker I will always try and catch. This year, he’s exploring improvements in abrasion testing in line with Euro 7 – showcasing two methods which have been developed to improve procedures and methodologies.
Tire performance with various types of silane (Rohit Ameta, head, R&D – BKT)
MR: The standard of R&D by tire makers in India continues to rise with each passing year as investment in equipment, research and expertise increases. BKT has studied the performance impact of various types of silane in tire silica-based tread compounds. The presentation will cover the processing behavior, dispersion, physical properties and laboratory predictors for wet grip and rolling resistance.
Industry’s first concept tire with renewable functional fillers (Florian Diehl, director sales – UPM Biochemicals; Anne Ojala, senior manager, material development – Nokian Tyres)
MR: We’ve followed this project for some time now, and have covered it extensively in the magazine, so I’m making sure I find some time to hear from the UPM and Nokian Tyres experts about the Green Step Ligna concept tire – the first to apply UPM’s BioMotion RFF (renewable functional fillers). By replacing all fossil carbon black in the tire’s sidewall, the renewable and recycled content could be increased to 60wt%.
To view all the presentations taking place over the 3-day conference, click here for the full conference program.
