The global tyre industry has evolved on all fronts.  Tyre manufacturers faced a constant trade-off between meeting productivity goals and increased requirements from the customers and new regulations. Hauvala and his colleagues realised that tyre manufacturers could no longer do everything by themselves in the changing market environment: to design tyres, tyre factories and manufacturing processes in a way that would support the new demands for efficiency. Instead, they should be able to concentrate on their core business. “We had a great vision with true market potential, plus an attractive option to reform the tyre industry,” said Hauvala.

‘We’, that is a key founding team of twelve tyre technology professionals. Hauvala uses the plural form throughout the interview, pinpointing the obvious fact that you cannot change the industry alone. “It is all about ‘collaboration’,” Hauvala stresses.

In 2011, the tyre industry, well known for its strict conventions, was however not ready and waiting for a changemaker. It took long before tyre manufacturers accepted the new service concept and realized its potential business value. “It was the depth of our expertise that convinced the first customers. The fact that we knew the tyre industry from inside out and could provide the whole package under one roof,” Hauvala says

Today, Black Donuts is an established and recognised technology house providing innovative solutions for tyre manufacturers. The concept of turnkey solutions has remained as the company’s key strategic principle. Elaborating the solultion provided by Black Donuts, Hauvala, said, “We are a full-service technology house providing the entyre solutions for designing, building, and running a smart and sustainable tyre plant with maximized productivity and best-in-class products.”

The company’s customer portfolio includes 20 out of the top 25 tyre manufacturers, which a glaring sign of competence and an option to reform the industry. “You need references to be convincing. And you need a network of partners sharing your vision of a brighter future for making it happen,” Hauvala says.

Changes And Challenges In Tyre Production

In last ten years, according to Hauvala, tyre manufacturing has witnessed the diverse challenges, including complex product mixes, shorter product runs, and the pressure for faster deliveries – a myriad of different demands affecting day-to-day factory operation. “ Things are changing at an accelerating pace, and there are no signs of slowing down. From the tyre manufacturers’ perspective, the operational environment has become complicated,” thinks the Black Donuts CEO.

Focusing on core competencies is a clear industry trend. Other operations outside manufacturing high-end products are increasingly being outsourced – aligned with Black Donuts’ original business idea.

Nevertheless, all players regardless of their area of specialization benefit from partnering with a company that understands the entire sector. In the era of ever-tightening cost and efficiency targets, choosing a partner to lead and actualize major investment projects, such as setting up a new factory, has become a mainstream option. “Tyre manufacturers desire a proven and effortless end-to-end service, provided by professionals, whose core competence is to plan and manage investment projects,” he says.

Assuming total responsibility for the production design, ramp-up, and material handling, Black Donuts controls that every detail in the production aligns with the customer’s goals. A shortened payback time creates concrete extra value for the customer. Hauvala says, “Our finetuned processes and advanced technology tools enable a smooth ramp-up. The reduced time-to-market generates faster and greater ROI.”

The rise of automation is another key trend in the tyre manufacturing. Black Donuts helps tyre manufacturers improve productivity and take the required technology leaps towards smart factory efficiency. The company has developed its own MES concept that gives multiple benefits for tyre manufacturers, such as improved insight and the potential for full traceability of tyres in production. The new plant concept also enables a remarkable decrease in stock levels and factory manning. “ In our latest factory design plans, the required manning is only half of the level in the first plans ten years ago,” tells Hauvala.

Also, the end-customer demands are higher now than a decade ago, forcing tyre manufacturers to rethink their business models to live up to the growing expectations.  In the concept of Black Donuts, the manufacturing process is optimized, flexible and efficient despite the increased number of simultaneous products and sizes in production. “With us, the manufacturing process gets new flexibility that enables shorter delivery times,” Hauvala promises.

The Rise Of New Brands

During the past decade, the tyre industry has witnessed a geographic change. The number of brands in the market is growing, just like in any other industry offering low-involvement consumer products. Established international brands get new challengers from local manufacturers offering good quality for moderate prices. “ The interest in tyre production raises its head particularly in the countries of fast economic growth with own raw material sources,” says Hauvala.

Black Donuts has developed a tailored turnkey service for the industry newcomers. It covers the entire solution from A to Z for designing, building and running a tyre plant. “We step in on day one and work hands-on with the customer throughout the process from feasibility study to the market entry. Or beyond, keeping the production and products always in the frontline of tyre technology,” explains Hauvala.

Today, Black Donuts is a genuinely international company with customers on almost every continent except Australia, where there is no domestic tyre manufacturing. “ We don’t have any borders in our minds, but the whole world is our market area. We are fully open to all directions,” says Hauvala.

Quality Leap In Tyre Development

According to Hauvala, a quality leap is the single biggest change in tyre development, driven by a continuing high-performance trend and technological advances. “ The quality of tyres is remarkably higher today,” adds Hauvala.

Black Donuts’ customers get access to the latest technology, the smartest innovations, and the most advanced materials. All the best-in-class product qualities, such as superior performance, lowest rolling resistance and a quiet ride, are at hand. Within the past ten years, the debate about tyre qualities has increasingly shifted to the total environmental impact of the tyre. Parallel to tightening regulations on emissions and rolling resistance, tyre manufacturers are being pushed to enhance the use of biomaterials in tyre compounds and to minimize waste.

“The tyre industry has made remarkable progress in reducing waste, yet compared to many other industries, the use of biomaterials is still in its infancy,” Hauvala admits. He anticipates new regulations to emerge concerning the recyclability of tyres.

In-Built Sustainability

Improvements in tyre manufacturing and development have accelerated over the last decade, spurred by the sharpened focus on environmental issues. The demands for sustainability now concern the entire industry from products to production.

At Black Donuts, sustainability is a strategic driver. The company not only contributes to sustainability in its own operations but also supports its customers and partners in the move. “The ideas of circular economy are inherent in our business philosophy. All our solutions focus on manufacturing excellence and resource efficiency, optimizing biomaterial use, minimizing emissions and maximizing recyclability,” says Hauvala.

Enjoying a comprehensive view of the tyre industry, Black Donuts has a great opportunity to improve overall branch sustainability. The company runs several major investment projects that aim at making the tyre industry greener – one tyre at a time, like Hauvala says.  “All our most important development projects support a more sustainable tyre industry.”

Recently, the company developed a new stud concept that remarkably reduces the negative side effects of safe winter driving. The new, patented technology tackles the environmental challenges of studs, such as road wear, pollution, and noise. Revealing a bit of the company’s future aspirations, Hauvala reports that Black Donuts is also developing a high-end winter tyre for electric cars, doing research in biomaterials, and investigating the usability of recovered carbon black received from an integrated pyrolysis solution. “We are getting closer to zero-emission factories, although it will require dedication, engagement, and collaboration,” Hauvala concludes.

Future-Proofing The Industry

Today, Black Donuts employs over 60 professionals with skills that cover all areas of tyre manufacture and tyre technology. During the 10-year journey, the company has grown, reinforced its skills and recruited new talents from areas outside its original core competences. Hauvala praises the employees for making it possible to celebrate such a significant milestone. “Our team is exceptional. We have great people from diverse backgrounds, working together for a common goal and inspiring each other to make a difference,” says Hauvala proudly.

Although the company has rapidly grown, it has managed to preserve the flexible and agile corporate culture from the early days. In a recent employee survey, team spirit was named as the strongest motivator. “Team spirit is our internal source of power and a strong pillar supporting the whole business.”

According to Hauvala, every team member at Black Donuts shares the same value-adding commitment and passion to help customers and to make the tyre industry an exemplary branch that considers the generations to come. He encourages all players in the industry to prepare for the future, starting today. “ We know the best practices, future challenges, and opportunities in the tyre industry. For us, it is quite simple to evaluate if a tyre business is future-proof or not. Is yours?” (TT)

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The Yokohama Rubber Co., Ltd. has been selected as the official tyre supplier for the groundbreaking FIA Extreme H World Cup, the world's first hydrogen-powered motorsport series. The company will supply its GEOLANDAR brand of tyres for the championship, which is scheduled to commence next month in Saudi Arabia. The company will also continue to supply GEOLANDAR tyres for the Extreme E off-road electric vehicle series, which holds its final event on 4–5 October in Saudi Arabia.

Central to both the Extreme H and Extreme E series is a shared mission to advance sustainability and equality. The championships serve as dynamic platforms to promote environmental awareness and demonstrate cutting-edge technologies while also enforcing a strict mandate for gender parity by requiring each team to field one male and one female driver. The Extreme H series will feature eight international teams operating the Pioneer 25, a cutting-edge hydrogen fuel cell vehicle capable of generating 550 horsepower and accelerating from 0 to 100 kmph in 4.5 seconds. The global significance of this new championship is expected to draw a worldwide television audience across multiple continents.

As the predecessor to Extreme H, the Extreme E series utilised the high-performance all-electric Odyssey 21 vehicle. All teams competing in the new hydrogen series will also participate in this final Extreme E event, marking the conclusion of the electric championship as it transitions towards a hydrogen future.

In alignment with the environmental principles of these series, Yokohama Rubber will provide a specially developed prototype tyre based on its GEOLANDAR X-AT model. This tyre has been engineered with a significantly increased ratio of sustainable materials, comprising 38 percent renewable and recycled content. It has also been fortified with enhanced durability characteristics to withstand the unique demands of heavy hydrogen-powered and electric off-road racing vehicles.

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Hankook Tire is advancing its future mobility leadership through strategic open innovation and collaborative design projects. This effort was showcased at the company’s recent Design Innovation Day 2025, held at its Pangyo Technoplex headquarters. The event serves as a platform to present new solutions integrating sustainability, innovation and design while reinforcing partnerships with global technology leaders.

A major focus was the unveiling of two key outcomes from Hankook’s ongoing Design Innovation Project. The first was ‘Sustainable Concept Tyre’, an embodiment of the company’s ESG vision. Developed using advanced 3D printing technology, it is constructed from renewable and recycled materials. Its distinctive organic design was realised in collaboration with Harvestance using specialised engineering software.

The second reveal was the WheelBot 2, a multi-directional mobility platform developed with robotics startup CALMANTECH. This advanced robotic wheel system, equipped with tri-axial spherical tyres, demonstrates new possibilities for movement. Its potential was illustrated through a live demonstration of the PathCruizer, a two-seater pod concept powered by the WheelBot technology.

Beyond product reveals, the event highlighted Hankook’s commitment to knowledge sharing, featuring a presentation on 3D printing advancements from LG Electronics. These collaborations are central to Hankook’s strategy of strengthening its technology leadership. Since 2012, the company has partnered with world-renowned design universities and technology firms, consistently earning prestigious international design awards and solidifying the premium stature of its global brand.

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Indian tyre maker to pass full benefit of tax cuts to customers from 22 September

CEAT Limited said on Thursday it would reduce prices across its entire tyre range following the Indian government’s decision to cut goods and services tax (GST) rates on tyres, with the full benefit being passed on to customers.

The Mumbai-based tyre manufacturer said new prices would take effect from 22 September, covering commercial, agricultural, passenger vehicle and two-wheeler segments.

India’s 56th GST Council meeting approved significant reductions in tax rates for the tyre industry. GST on new pneumatic tyres was cut to 18% from 28%, whilst tractor tyres and tubes will attract a reduced rate of 5%.

“We thank the Government of India and the GST Council for their timely and progressive decision to rationalise tax rates in the tyre sector,” said Arnab Banerjee, Managing Director & CEO of CEAT Limited.

“The reduced GST slabs will greatly benefit the tyre industry and consumers alike. Not only will it lower the cost of owning and operating a vehicle for customers across various segments, but by making tyres more affordable to replace, it will also make our roads safer.”

Banerjee added the move would “spur formalisation and greater compliance, while also fostering sustainable growth in the sector.”

The GST rate cuts represent a significant policy shift for India’s automotive sector, where high taxation has been a longstanding concern for manufacturers and consumers.

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The Yokohama Rubber Co., Ltd. has been officially recognised as a DX Certified Business Operator by Japan's Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI). The designation, which was granted on 1 September 2025, identifies companies that are thoroughly prepared for digital transformation as outlined by the Digital Governance Code.

This certification acknowledges Yokohama Rubber's comprehensive strategy for digital transformation, which is built on three core objectives: advancing business strategy, contributing to sustainability and reinforcing its IT infrastructure. Central to this effort is the company's proprietary AI framework, HAICoLab (Humans and AI ColLaborate), which drives group-wide digital initiatives. These include improving productivity, innovating processes, developing digital talent and building a global cloud-based IT system. The certification confirms that the company's efforts not only meet METI's stringent criteria but also demonstrate appropriate disclosure of information to its stakeholders.

Moving forward, the company said it will continue to leverage data from its entire value chain to adapt to a dynamic business environment. The company aims to enhance customer value, pursue sustainable innovation and transform its corporate culture to strengthen its competitive position and ensure long-term growth.

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