Premium tyre manufacturer Hankook Tire’s associate brand Laufenn is celebrating 10-year milestone of the brand’s presence in Europe.

The brand started with passenger car tyres since 2015 and added commercial vehicle treads to its portfolio five years later. Laufenn today boasts market presence in over 100 countries, offering passenger car tyres in 341 sizes along with a commercial vehicle portfolio of 18 sizes. Hankook intends to boost marketing expenditures in order to raise awareness of its Laufenn brand. In addition, a new generation of passenger car treads for the summer and winter will soon be introduced. Laufenn will increase its market share and supply original equipment tyres to a European automaker in 2025, in addition to its current offering in the passenger car replacement market. Laufenn has also been an official sponsor of the UEFA Europa Conference League since the 2021/22 season, further emphasising its position in strategically important sales markets.

Laufenn first made its foray into the market with performance and touring summer tyres for passenger automobiles. The X Fit Van summer tyre for SUVs and passenger vehicles, as well as the i Fit, the first winter tyre for SUVs and passenger cars in Western and Central Europe, came next. The i Fit ICE, a studded winter tyre for passenger automobiles and SUVs, marked Laufenn's entry into the Northern and Eastern European markets over the ensuing time frame. All-season tyres are now part of the range in addition to summer and winter tyres. Laufenn unveiled the improved summer tyres S FIT EQ+ and G FIT EQ+ in 2020. Laufenn's total market share in Europe has increased fourfold since its launch.

Laufenn is also commemorating a significant milestone in the commercial vehicle tyre industry: the company has been providing truck, bus, and trailer treads throughout Europe for five years. In 2025, the 18 sizes that are now available in the commercial vehicle portfolio will be expanded to include additional sizes, beginning with the trailer tyres LF95 and LR02, which are 265/70 R19.5.

In an effort to further innovate the truck market, Laufenn is this year launching ‘Laufenn365’, a new digital platform that will make it easier to resolve unintentional damage claims for the company's commercial vehicle tyres and provide clients with additional insurance against unforeseen expenses. Initially, this platform will be available in the United Kingdom. Laufenn intends to reach further European markets with its smart product and tyre warranty. The launch of another affiliate brand, Optimo, is a recent illustration of Hankook's strategic brand growth. Optimo serves a market niche with increasing demand for passenger automobiles and enhances Hankook's sibling and premium brands.

Jongho Park, President and Chief Operating Officer, Hankook Tire Europe, said, “With our associate brand Laufenn, we offer tyres that deliver excellent value for money without compromising on safety, reliability and quality. Customers benefit from the many years of experience of the Hankook brand and get a product that meets the highest standards. This allows us to create a win-win situation in every respect.”

Jang Hyuk Moon, Vice President – Marketing Department, Hankook Tire Europe, said, “Laufenn has established itself as a strong associate brand to Hankook with a steadily expanding portfolio and growing international presence. The brand will continue to focus on quality and customer relationships in order to further build on its success.”

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The DUNLOP Group is restructuring its sustainability management to more closely align business strategies with sustainability initiatives, aiming to achieve sustainable corporate value growth. As part of this effort, each business division will establish a Divisional Sustainability Promotion Committee under the umbrella of the existing Sustainability Promotion Committee, which oversees company-wide efforts. This change is intended to accelerate the integration of business strategies and sustainability measures.

The newly formed divisional committees will discuss and decide on sustainability policies designed to create business opportunities and drive growth within their respective divisions. They will also monitor progress towards division-specific targets under the Long-Term Sustainability Targets, known as ‘Driving Our Future Initiatives’, and share relevant information. Progress updates will be reported to the Sustainability Promotion Committee, strengthening company-wide monitoring.

Chart of sustainability management structure

In addition, a cross-divisional Sustainable Natural Rubber (SNR) Subcommittee will be launched to manage and reduce risks and create opportunities in the natural rubber supply chain. Natural rubber is a natural capital resource on which the Group’s business significantly depends and also has significant impacts. The subcommittee will address these issues from natural capital and human rights perspectives, based on the Sustainable Natural Rubber Policy.

The SNR Subcommittee will serve as a cross-functional body that concentrates and accelerates the Group’s various SNR activities. By aligning with biodiversity and human rights initiatives and taking a mid- to long-term approach, it will pursue sustainable natural rubber through efforts such as supporting natural rubber farmers and collaborating with external partners.

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Kenda Tires has launched the K-SERIES VELORA ENDURANCE, the first model in its new premium VELORA road tyre family. The tyre targets cyclists seeking speed, confidence and long-lasting reliability, combining advanced compound technology, enhanced puncture protection and extended tread life in a purpose-built package for endurance riding, daily training and high-mileage use.

A new puncture-resistant base layer boosts durability by 35 percent while preserving the smooth ride and rolling efficiency expected from a premium road tyre. At its core sits Kenda's new K-SERIES high-performance road compound, engineered to minimise rolling resistance and maximise tread life. Against the Kriterium, the VELORA ENDURANCE achieves a 27 percent improvement in tread wear, letting riders spend more time on the road and less time replacing tyres.

A smooth centre tread promotes speed and efficiency, while optimised shoulder siping sharpens cornering grip and wet-weather traction for predictable handling across changing conditions. The tyre is fully Tubeless Ready, delivering easy setup, dependable puncture protection and the ride quality modern road cyclists demand.

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Niutech Technology Group Co., Ltd. completed its group restructuring on 26 August 2026, drawing on nearly 40 years in industrial continuous pyrolysis. Its proprietary technology and complete equipment sets convert over 30 material streams, including waste tyres and plastics, into high-value recycled resources such as pyrolysis oil and combustible gas. Niutech spans high-end equipment R&D and manufacturing, project investment and construction and operation, supporting 10,000-tonne-scale projects in dozens of countries, including Germany, UK, Korea, Denmark and Brazil, while meeting developed-market environmental and technical standards.

Tightening regulation is accelerating demand. The European Union's Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation, Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation and End-of-Life Vehicles Regulation raise recycled-material requirements and spotlight continuous pyrolysis. Niutech's new-generation large industrial continuous intelligent pyrolysis line delivers major gains in processing capacity, efficiency, cost control and product quality. In waste tyres, a single unit handles over 100 tonnes daily, with recovered carbon black exceeding 80 percent toluene transmittance, yielding high-grade commercial carbon black for tyre manufacturing.

For waste plastics, including low-value municipal, ocean, and textile streams such as mixed PP, PE, PS, ABS and nylon, one unit also processes over 100 tonnes daily without complex washing, sorting, drying or fine crushing. It produces stable pyrolysis oil, solid fuel and combustible gas, the latter cutting on-site energy use, while the oil can become chemical feedstock for new plastics. The line operates in multiple overseas markets.

In China, majority-owned subsidiary Hesheng Environmental Protection, commissioned in 2013, was the country's first continuous tyre recycling project and the sector's first to earn International Sustainability and Carbon Certification, operating stably for over a decade. In 2026, Hesheng launched a 100,000-tonne Phase II project, lifting capacity to 160,000 tonnes annually. A UK customer signed an RMB 198 million order after assessing Niutech's projects and global peers. Niutech is now advancing clean tyre pyrolysis oil research toward sustainable aviation fuel and other clean energy.

"The maturity of a technology is best verified through industrial projects. Our project references in China and overseas are becoming our most persuasive calling card," said the head of the marketing department at Niutech.

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Hankook Tire, the exclusive tyre supplier for the FIA World Rally Championship, is proving its mettle at the season-ending Rally Italia Sardegna, scheduled for 1–4 October around Alghero on the Italian island of Sardinia. The 23rd edition of this historic gravel event now closes the 2026 calendar after Rally Saudi Arabia, originally slated as the finale, was removed from the schedule.

Because the Drivers' Championship will be decided in Italy, tyre performance and strategies for handling the demanding roads and unpredictable October weather are expected to be decisive. The rally covers 17 Special Stages totalling roughly 307.02 competitive kilometres on unpaved roads, where narrow, winding sections lined with trees and undergrowth, combined with blind crests, restrict visibility and leave little margin for error.

The route also includes Micky's Jump, one of the event's most recognizable features, as well as deep ruts created by repeated runs and rough, rocky stretches. These conditions place heavy demands on tyre durability and vehicle stability, making consistent control a critical factor throughout the event.

Hankook will provide its Dynapro R213 all-terrain rally tyre in Hard and Soft compounds for the finale. The tyre is engineered to absorb gravel impacts while delivering stable grip, precise handling and strong durability. At Round 12 in Chile, Toyota GAZOO Racing's Oliver Solberg took his second win of the year, securing Toyota the 2026 Manufacturers' Championship – its sixth straight since 2021 and 10th overall – leaving the drivers' title to be settled in Sardinia.

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