Chemical companies Unibio and BioVerde Tech have announced a strategic collaboration to develop biomanufacturing processes for the production of sustainable chemicals.

Under the agreement, BioVerde will use Unibio’s U-Loop vertical loop gas fermentation technology platform together with BioVerde’s genetically engineered strains of Methylococcus capsulatus. The collaboration aims to convert methane into a range of value-added chemical products through advanced microbial fermentation.

Initial development efforts will focus on intermediates – molecular entities or compounds formed during a multi-step chemical reaction that are then consumed to produce the final product, acting as bridges between reactants and products – relevant to the synthetic rubber value chain, including pathways toward bio-based butadiene, a key building block used in both synthetic rubber and engineering plastics such as ABS.

Continue reading Unibio and BioVerde co-develop methane-based manufacturing processes for sustainable chemical intermediates at Tire Technology International.

Bridgestone Corporation has launched a joint research project with Universitas Indonesia, Public University Corporation Yokohama City University (Yokohama City University) and Public University Corporation Maebashi Institute of Technology (Maebashi Institute of Technology) for the genetic analysis of para rubber trees. This collaboration will leverage trees and genetic information from Bridgestone’s natural rubber farm in Indonesia.

The joint project aims to create a marker-assisted selection technology that enables early identification of elite trees (high-yielding, stable performers). Through this effort, Bridgestone and the partner universities seek to contribute to improvements in the productivity and stable supply of natural rubber.

Masashi Otsuki, executive director, Institute of Advanced Technology, Bridgestone Corporation, said, “By co-creating with stakeholders across the natural rubber industry and promoting the sustainable use of natural rubber, Bridgestone strives to achieve the corporate commitment of ‘Ecology: Committed to advancing sustainable tire technologies and solutions that preserve the environment for future generations’ described in its Bridgestone E8 Commitment.”

Stable yet sustainable

While natural rubber is a renewable resource, its source, the para rubber tree, grows only in geographically limited regions near the equator and is susceptible to external factors such as climate change and disease.

Continue reading Bridgestone and three universities collaborate on genetic analysis of para rubber trees to boost natural rubber production at Tire Technology International.

Around the world, more than one billion tires reach the end of their usable life each year. These materials represent a valuable resource for the circular economy, but collection, recovery and recycling remain fragmented, with outcomes varying significantly across regions.

The Tire Industry Project’s (TIP) End-of-Life Tire (ELT) Toolkit 2.0 is a practical guide aimed at improving sustainability and circularity in tire management worldwide. It provides strategies for developing resilient, transparent and effective ELT systems amid varying regulatory and market conditions.

The Toolkit consolidates the latest knowledge, case studies and expert insights on the evolving challenges and opportunities across the ELT value chain.

Continue reading Tire Industry Project releases End-of-Life Tire Toolkit 2.0 to support circularity at Tire Technology International.

Nokian Tyres’ production facility in Romania has earned LEED v4 Gold certification from the US Green Building Council, making it the first tire factory in the world to achieve this level of recognition for sustainable building.

LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) is a globally recognized standard for environmentally responsible construction. Certified buildings typically use less energy and water, produce lower CO₂ emissions, divert more waste from landfills and provide healthier indoor environments.

The Romanian factory was recognized for multiple sustainability features, including energy efficiency measures, on-site solar panels and an advanced water management system.

Continue reading Nokian Tyres’ Romanian tire factory first in the world to earn LEED v4 Gold at Tire Technology International.

Bridgestone Americas has announced that Firestone Racing will start the 2026 IndyCar season with Firehawk race tires featuring Bridgestone’s Enliten technology. Starting at this weekend’s Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg, both the NTT IndyCar Series and Indy NXT by Firestone will use these tires, which highlight the brand’s sustainability-focused technologies.

NTT IndyCar Series and Indy NXT

The Firestone Race Tire Engineering (RTE) team will design, develop and deliver approximately 37,000 Firestone Firehawk Enliten technology race tires. Of that total, more than 32,000 race tires will be supplied to the NTT IndyCar Series. They span 60 different specifications to meet the diverse demands of oval, road and street course configurations on the 18-race schedule.

Continue reading Firestone unveils sustainable Enliten Firehawk tires for 2026 IndyCar season at Tire Technology International.

Solvay has opened its bio-circular silica facility at its Livorno, Italy plant, advancing Europe’s industrial shift toward sustainability. The investment supports the European Green Deal and the upcoming Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation (ESPR), while strengthening Italy’s position as a center for green innovation.

The unit aims to produce highly dispersible silica (HDS) using bio-based sodium silicate derived from rice husk ash, an agricultural byproduct. This breakthrough process reduces CO2 emissions by 35% per ton of silica compared to traditional methods and creates a local circular value chain that benefits the agricultural sector, industry and communities.

“By acting now, Solvay is helping tire manufacturers prepare for future EU requirements and meet their own sustainability goals,” said Philippe Kehren, CEO of Solvay.

Continue reading Solvay launches bio-circular silica facility in Livorno to drive sustainable tire production and circular innovation at Tire Technology International.

King Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands has inaugurated Circtec’s pyrolysis plant for recycling end-of-life tires at the Delfzijl chemical industry cluster near Groningen. The opening follows the completion of construction and commissioning, after the investment was announced in May 2024.

The King officially launched the plant by loading waste tires into a CIFR pyrolysis reactor, a proprietary chemical recycling technology developed by Circtec that converts tire waste into high-value products.

Sophie Hermans, the Netherlands deputy prime minister and minister of Climate and Green Growth continued, “What we see here at Circtec is green growth at its best.

Continue reading King of the Netherlands inaugurates Circtec pyrolysis plant for tire recycling at Tire Technology International.

Dunlop has entered into a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Cabot to evaluate the commercial adoption of circular reinforcing carbons made with Cabot’s patented regenerated carbon technology. This circular reinforcing carbon, developed with Cabot’s Evolve Sustainable Solutions and made from reclaimed pyrolyzed tire material, is being considered for use in Sumitomo Rubber Industries’ tire production.

Cabot’s circular reinforcing carbon, using regenerated carbon technology, is a new material for Sumitomo Rubber. It is seen as a potential tool for reducing emissions and will be evaluated for mass-produced tires, while Cabot works to scale the technology to meet future demand.

Continue reading Dunlop and Cabot sign MOU to explore regenerated carbon for sustainable tire production at Tire Technology International.

Nokian Tyres has launched the Betula concept tire containing raw material made from birch bark. The renewable material made by Reselo uses the residue from the global pulp, paper and plywood industry – the Betula marks the first use of this recycled material in a tire.

The material is included in the tread compound of the concept tire, bringing the amount of renewable and recycled material content to 93% of all materials used on the tread.

The alternative sustainable material is positioned as a performance-enhancing addition. The concept tire, based on the tread design of the Nokian Tyres Hakkapeliitta R5 non-studded winter tire, has been tested at Nokian’s facilities in Ivalo in Finnish Lapland and in Nokia, Finland.

Continue reading Nokian Tyres unveils concept tire using performance-enhancing birch bark material 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.