With a strong focus on sustainability and innovation, Tire Technology Expo 2026 is shaping up to be one of the biggest and best yet. Held on March 3, 4 & 5 at the Deutsche Messe in Hannover, Germany, the show includes a superb line-up of exhibitors, conference topics and speakers, as well as a range of accredited short courses, the official Tire Technology International Awards for Innovation and Excellence, and ample opportunity for peer-to-peer networking. Register for your free fast-track exhibition entry pass here.
The conference
Bringing together leading industry figures, the Tire Technology Expo Conference will consist of three days of presentations, discussions and networking on the latest developments in tire manufacturing, sustainability and the global tire business.
Tire Technology International’s editor-in-chief, Matt Ross, has selected his highlights from the packed program of more than 165 speakers.
One of his chosen presentations is Tires for autonomous vehicles – current scenario and future technical opportunities for next-generation AVs by Andreas Topp, VP of platform development and industrialization at Continental Reifen. The presentation will look at the transition of autonomous vehicles (AVs) from pilot projects to scaled commercial operations. It will highlight the diversity of the AV ecosystem, which includes purpose-built robotaxis as well as conventional passenger vehicles retrofitted with autonomous systems.
“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,” said Ross. “After all, as the old adage goes, no matter who’s driving, the tires remain the only touchpoint between the vehicle and the road.”
Another highlighted session is Ongoing transformation of the global tire industry by David Shaw, the CEO of Tire Industry Research. The paper will examine structural changes across the global tire sector and provide an outlook for the future. It will discuss a rise in trade barriers, with multiple countries investigating tires manufactured in China. In response, leading Chinese tire manufacturers have expanded production capacity internationally and accelerated industry consolidation.
One more notable session is Industry’s first concept tire with renewable functional fillers, presented by Florian Diehl, director of sales at UPM Biochemicals and Anne Ojala, senior manager of material development at Nokian Tyres. They will discuss the Nokian Tyres Green Step Ligna concept tire, which replaces fossil carbon black in the sidewall with UPM’s BioMotion Renewable Functional Fillers (RFF), raising renewable and recycled content to 60 wt% and advancing sustainable tire design. “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,” Ross stated.
The exhibition
With over 240 industry-leading exhibitors, the event offers unparalleled access to the specialists, technologies and innovations shaping the future of tire design, performance, sustainability and manufacturing.
Tire Technology Expo brings together the people and processes shaping the future of global tire innovation.
Attendees include OEMs and tire manufacturers; material scientists and compounders; tire design, production, simulation and testing experts; factory and plant leaders; sustainability and recycling specialists; logistics and supply chain managers; R&D professionals; academic and research institutions; and regulatory and certification bodies.
The awards
Key industry achievements will also be recognized at the event, during a live presentation of the Tire Technology International Awards for Innovation and Excellence. The winners are decided by the votes of a panel of experts from the tire industry and academia. The list of categories is available here
Short courses
Four short courses will be held concurrently with the exhibition and conference.
The University of Akron Tire Mechanics is a four-day short course held on March 2-5. Starting the day before the exhibition opens, it will provide engineers and scientists with an in-depth, intense study of the latest developments surrounding tire engineering.
The Tire Mathematical Modeling short course (March 2-4) will be led by Mohammad Behroozi (Zoox/Amazon) and Georgios Mavros (Loughborough University). The course covers computer modeling of tires in a full vehicle system and is aimed at engineers and researchers working in industry or academia.
The one-day Tire Reinforcement – Materials, Applications and Fatigue Testing short course (March 2) will provide an understanding of the use of materials and constructions for rubber reinforcement in the tire.
The Tire Regulations short course (March 2) will give attendees a comprehensive understanding of current and upcoming tire regulations, including EU and UNECE frameworks, type approval processes and sustainability-related legislation.
Please visit www.tiretechnology-expo.com for the full exhibitor list, conference program and short courses schedule, and to register for your free exhibition entry pass. You can read Tire Technology International’s full show preview here
