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.

Norwegian deep-tech company ReTyre has secured €7m (US$8.1m) in a funding round, led by Hatch Blue’s Blue Revolution Fund with participation from Fundracer and existing investors, to scale production, fulfill its order backlog and progress toward profitability.

ReTyre has developed a patented injection moulding technology that changes how bicycle tires can be produced. The process reduces CO₂ emissions by 80%, supports 100% recyclability, and is dust-free and fully automated. The technology also enables decentralized, clean tire production close to OEM assembly lines.

With this funding, ReTyre will install its first fully automated production cell in Norway, followed by a second facility in Asia in 2026.

Continue reading ReTyre secures €7m to scale sustainable tire production at Tire Technology International.

Continental has acquired a patent portfolio and launched a pilot facility for the production of pyrolysis oil. The investment lays the foundation for recycling complex rubber compounds on an industrial scale. The patented pyrolysis technology solution employed by ContiTech aims to recover high-quality raw materials from waste rubber and systematically replace fossil resources.

Pyrolysis is based on a thermal process. Through controlled heating in a low-oxygen environment, the waste rubber is thermally broken down into its basic components. This produces a gaseous energy source, recovered carbon black and a high-quality oil that is similar in composition to fossil crude oil.

Continue reading Continental invests in pyrolysis technology for efficient rubber recycling at Tire Technology International.

Nexen Tire has established a high-dynamic driving simulator at its central research institute, The Nexen UniverCity, in Seoul, South Korea. The simulator is the first of its kind in the Korean tire industry and is intended to support tire research and development using VR and AI technologies.

The simulator enables testing of acceleration, steering response, braking and other performance metrics in a variety of driving conditions. Nexen Tire said it expects to minimize unnecessary trial and error, reduce prototype production and real vehicle testing and accelerate innovation while cutting costs.

The company also expects the simulator to support faster and more accurate alignment with original equipment (OE) requirements, and strengthen collaboration in developing tires for new concepts and high-performance vehicles.

Continue reading Nexen Tire introduces driving simulator to accelerate tire development at Tire Technology International.

The foundation stone has been laid for the Hadj Larbi Industry tire factory in Oran City, Algeria. The project is a joint investment between Hadj Larbi Algeria Tire Factory Cooperation and Doublestar.

With an initial investment of US$250m, the Hadj Larbi Industry tire factory will be based on Doublestar’s manufacturing techniques and intelligent technology. The facility is targeting a production capacity of six million passenger car radial (PCR) tires and one million truck and bus radial (TBR) tires, for local, Central African and European markets.​

Dilmi Ouardi, CEO of El Hadj Larbi Pneumatiques, said that Sarl Hadj Larbi and Doublestar have always maintained a deep friendship and a good cooperative relationship, and added that the cooperation in building the tire factory will promote industrialization in Algeria and provide high-quality tire products for local users.​

Chai Yongsen, chairman of Doublestar Group, said that the factory will deepen the friendship between Doublestar and Sarl Hadj Larbi, as well as the people of China and Algeria, and support local economic development.

Continue reading Construction begins on Hadj Larbi Industry-Doublestar tire factory in Algeria at Tire Technology International.

BKT (Balkrishna Industries Ltd.) has announced its five-year strategic plan, which includes the investment of US$400m in the next three years, primarily funded internally, and is targeting US$2.6bn in total revenues by 2030.

The strategic plan focuses on three main areas: strengthening leadership in the off-highway sector, entering new tire categories for the Indian market and expanding the carbon black business.

Off-highway tires

In the off-highway tires (OHT) segment, BKT says it will strengthen its position in rubber tracks, mining, industrial, and construction segments. Following the official commercialization of its rubber tracks, the board has approved the expansion of the dedicated production facility, expected to be operational in the second half of 2026.

Continue reading BKT announces 2030 roadmap with US$400m in investments at Tire Technology International.

Bridgestone Corporation has announced it is to make investments to expand capacity in three passenger car tire plants in Japan – the Hikone, Tosu and Tochigi plants – that are the main production bases for high rim diameter tires for cars in the premium segment.

The collective investment will be approximately ¥27bn (US$174.8m) with expansion set to start from the beginning of 2025 and be completed by the end of 2028. The strategic investment is expected to ramp up total production across these three plants by approximately 3,000 tires per day, for tires 20in and larger, with demand for these tires expected to grow, according to Bridgestone.

Continue reading Bridgestone to expand three passenger car tire plants in Japan at Tire Technology International.

Zhongce Rubber Group (ZC Rubber), has announced that its Indonesian subsidiary, PT. Matahari Tire Indonesia (MTI), has manufactured its first all-steel radial tire. This milestone was celebrated at the MTI factory in the Kendal Industrial Park, Semarang, Indonesia.

ZC Rubber Chairman Shen Jinrong and other company leaders, signed the first all-steel radial tire produced at the MTI plant. MTI’s factory spans 500,000m2 and plays a vital role in ZC Rubber’s global expansion strategy. Located in a region rich in natural rubber resources, the facility is equipped with digital technology and a highly skilled workforce.

With the facility still in the ramp-up phase, the production of the first tire marks significant progress toward meeting growing demand for high-quality tires in local and international markets, including the US.

Continue reading ZC Rubber’s Indonesia factory produces first steel radial tire at Tire Technology International.

Continental is to build a new tire distribution center in the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex. The company hopes the new facility will enable it to improve its service levels and customer support.

Built with expansion in mind, the distribution center will feature modern technologies and align with the brand’s long-term sustainability goals. It will have the capacity to store over 800,000 tires.

Construction will begin in September 2024, with operations scheduled to start in 2026. The facility will initially span 70,000m2, with potential to expand to 116,500m2. The location was selected based on a Continental network study that identified the Dallas-Fort Worth area as a key distribution hub.

Continue reading Continental to establish tire distribution center in the US at Tire Technology International.

Yokohama Rubber has held a groundbreaking ceremony for its new consumer/light truck tire plant in Saltillo, Coahuila, Mexico.

The event, held on April 15 at the Alianza Industrial Park, was attended by Yokohama company executives including YRC chairman and CEO Masataka Yamaishi, Yokohama Corporation North America (YCNA) CEO Shinichi Takimoto, and Yokohama Tire Corporation (YTC) president and CEO Jeff Barna.

The groundbreaking ceremony signaled the start of construction for the modern plant, which will be built on a 150-acre site. Construction is expected to begin soon, with production expected to start in early 2027 with a planned annual output of 5 million tires, catering to the growing demand in the North American market.

Continue reading Yokohama holds groundbreaking ceremony for tire plant in Mexico at Tire Technology International.