The International Institute of Synthetic Rubber Producers (IISRP) has elected Douglas Wilson as its President-International for the year 2025–2026 at the association’s 65th Annual General Meeting on April 9, 2025. Wilson replaces Zhuang Yi of Sinopec, who became the Institute's Past President-International.

Wilson is now in charge of P&L for every facet of LCY's Styrenic Block Copolymer business in North and South America, including the Baytown SBS production facility, as the General Manager of the Americas business for LCY Elastomers LP. After 22 years at Honeywell International, Wilson served as Global Business Director for Vertellus (now Aurorium) for five years in the Polyether Sulfones, Citrates and Additives business until joining LCY in 2023. Wilson served as the Global Business Leader for two distinct divisions at Honeywell. He started up as the head of Honeywell's nylon-based film and active resins division, which supplied materials for composites and food and industrial packaging. Later on, he oversaw Honeywell's Research Chemicals division, which included integrating a USD 120 million purchase.

In addition to Wilson, the other members elected to the association’s Executive Committee for the year 2025–2026 include Masayoshi Iwasa of Asahi Kasei Corporation as President of the Asia Pacific Section and member of the FPAC; Giovanni Cassuti of Versalis as EMEA Section Vice-President; Brian Chapman of Kuraray Americas as Member of the FPAC; Shiga Satoru of ENEOS Materials as Vice-President of the Asia Pacific Section; Robert Rikhoff of Lion Elastomers as President of the Americas Section; Zhuang Yi of Sinopec as past President-International and Roxanna Petrovic of IISRP as Managing Director, Assistant Treasurer and Recording Secretary.

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wdk, the German Rubber Industry Association, and the ADK, the German Rubber Industry Employers’ Association, hosted their annual Rubber Industry Day in Berlin on 28 April 2026. The event saw wdk President Michael Klein issue an urgent call for industrial policy measures, warning that pressure on Germany’s manufacturing base remains relentless. He argued that the country can no longer afford strategic delays, insisting that declarations of intent must be replaced by immediate action to reduce bureaucracy and energy costs for businesses.

Citing fresh member survey data, Klein reported that sales, revenue and production levels in Germany’s rubber industry are predominantly declining compared to the previous year. He described this downturn as a clear warning signal, noting that companies have exhausted their potential at domestic sites. Without political support, he added, only foreign markets remain viable alternatives, while Germany continues to lose industrial substance.

The wdk president stressed that the federal government’s failure to implement countermeasures risks permanent damage to the nation’s industrial base. He expressed bafflement that political decision-makers have long known what needs to be done yet have failed to act for an extended period. Klein concluded that proactive intervention is now essential, as the erosion of Germany as a production location must finally be stopped to preserve the manufacturing sector as the backbone of the economy and a guarantor of prosperity.

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Bridgestone Americas has concluded the first phase of a joint research initiative with Penske Transportation Solutions, known as the Decarbonisation Lab, which focused on identifying commercially ready methods for reducing carbon emissions in real-world commercial fleet operations. The partnership confirmed that both companies intend to continue their collaboration with a second phase of testing in 2026, building on the operational data gathered during the initial stage.

Working alongside Dynamon, a specialist in advanced data analytics, the Lab’s first phase involved logging more than 500,000 fleet miles to assess three specific operational areas. The use of low-rolling-resistance retreads, continuous tyre pressure monitoring and Bridgestone casings on Penske vehicles produced a measurable gain of 6.35 percent in fuel economy. In a separate track, the partners tested renewable diesel in Tennessee, a state outside the usual Low Carbon Fuel Standard markets, to study long-term maintenance needs and efficiency results.

A third work stream saw Penske and Bridgestone engineering teams jointly redesign aspects of Bridgestone’s automotive tyre retail distribution network, with the goal of cutting roughly 152,000 miles from that logistics system. Scaling that approach across the entire dedicated fleet operated by the two companies would correspond to a four to six percent drop in CO₂ emissions, according to the project’s projections.

The overall findings from the Decarbonisation Lab reinforce the idea that meaningful near-term sustainability gains require a combination of proven technologies, rigorous data collection and close industry cooperation rather than isolated efforts. Representatives from both organisations are scheduled to present the first-phase results at ACT Expo 2026 in Las Vegas on the afternoon of 4 May.

Erik Seidel, head of sustainability for Bridgestone in the Americas, Europe, Middle East and Africa, said, “Our Bridgestone team is proud to have partnered with Penske for more than a decade, from IndyCar racing to deploying millions of retreaded tyres across the Penske fleet. The Decarbonisation Lab is a testament to how sustainable transformation can be accelerated when we work together.”

Bill Combs, Senior Vice President, Partnership & Sustainability Strategy, Penske, said, “We are honoured to collaborate with Bridgestone to bring the Decarbonisation Lab to the marketplace. Our companies have enjoyed a successful history of uncovering great solutions that benefit our customers and the industry.”

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Maxion Wheels will showcase a low‑carbon commercial vehicle steel wheel at IFAT Munich as part of the Daimler Truck–led reECONIC concept vehicle. The component demonstrates how circular material strategies and advanced engineering can significantly cut carbon footprints at the individual part level.

For the reECONIC project, Maxion Wheels developed a 22.5-inch x 9.00-inch steel wheel that achieves a CO2 footprint reduction of more than 50 percent compared with conventionally manufactured counterparts. The wheel weighs 32.5 kilogrammes and was produced using electric arc furnace steel with a high proportion of post‑consumer recycled scrap.

The wheel’s cradle‑to‑gate CO2 footprint fell from 132.7 kilogrammes to 61.4 kilogrammes per wheel through a combination of CO2‑reduced steel, optimised design and responsible material selection, all without compromising functionality, performance or safety. Given that steel wheels are safety‑critical and among the heaviest parts of a commercial vehicle, their mass and material composition make them a key lever for emissions reduction and overall vehicle efficiency.

Maxion applied its proprietary Lightweighting Process, which integrates performance, safety and production parameters into advanced structural design and simulation tools. This enabled a 2-kg weight saving compared with previous designs, lowering material demand and further reducing the carbon footprint. However, the majority of the emissions reduction came from material circularity, since raw materials account for roughly 75 to 85 percent of a steel wheel’s CO2 footprint.

Using high‑share post‑consumer recycled scrap via the electric arc furnace route lowers primary raw material demand, reduces iron ore mining and cuts energy‑intensive processing steps. The wheel was engineered at Maxion’s Global Engineering Center and plant in Königswinter, Germany, using industrially proven processes suitable for future scale‑up. Daimler Truck intends the reECONIC project as a pathway to series production, with real‑world testing starting in the second half of 2026.

The reECONIC vehicle will be unveiled at IFAT Munich from 4–7 May 2026, where it will be displayed and demonstrated as part of Daimler Truck’s circular‑economy initiative. The project confirms that circular design and recycled materials can be applied to high‑volume, heavily loaded parts, offering tangible CO2 savings within existing manufacturing frameworks.

Karl Rode, Director of Engineering at Maxion Wheels, said, “The reECONIC project allowed us to apply our engineering and material expertise to a clearly defined circular‑economy objective. By combining recycled‑material‑rich steel with targeted design optimisation, we were able to more than halve the CO2 footprint of a safety‑critical steel wheel using industrially feasible processes.”

Stan Mommers, Vice President Sales EMEA at Maxion Wheels, said, “Working with Daimler Truck on reECONIC shows how suppliers and OEMs can jointly translate circular‑economy principles into measurable results. Component‑level innovations like this steel wheel are essential for enabling lower‑carbon commercial vehicles in the future.”

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Linglong Tire unveiled a Sustainable Concept Tyre made from 85 percent sustainable materials during the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD) gathering held from 27 to 30 April 2026 in Montreux, Switzerland. The WBCSD, a board-led organisation dedicated exclusively to business and sustainable development, shares a sustainability vision closely aligned with Linglong’s internal strategy. The Chinese tyre manufacturer has committed to significantly reducing CO2 emissions by 2030 and achieving climate neutrality by 2050, a full decade ahead of the Paris Agreement timetable for Chinese companies and matching the ambitions of both the WBCSD and the European Union.

Linglong is already cutting carbon emissions through efficient energy use, sustainable tyre development and intelligent supply chain management. The company targets a reduction of more than 50 percent by 2035, with climate neutrality no later than 2050. Five core elements drive this effort: new materials, advanced technologies, modern processes, smart machinery, and sustainable energy. A 35‑megawatt solar system is being installed at a new tyre factory under construction in Brazil as part of this transition.

By 2040, all Linglong tires are to be made entirely from sustainable materials. The concept tyre presented by Chief Executive Officer Lingkun ‘Andy’ Zhou relies on bio‑based feedstocks such as biotechnical itaconate rubber, rice husk ash and corn‑based silica to replace traditional petroleum‑based raw materials, reducing carbon emissions by up to 35 percent. Linglong became the first Chinese tyre manufacturer to join the Global Platform for Sustainable Natural Rubber (GPSNR) and supports FSC‑certified natural rubber projects to protect forests, support rubber farmers’ livelihoods and safeguard the rights of workers, indigenous peoples and local communities. In resource recycling, the company promotes liquid waste rubber and pyrolysis carbon black to close the loop on waste tyres.

Zhou emphasised that the dual‑carbon roadmap revolutionises the entire production process, not merely representing an environmental pledge. Linglong will do everything possible to meet its climate goals while providing consumers worldwide with environmentally friendly, sustainable and high‑quality mobility solutions, aiming to leave a clean and liveable planet for generations to come.

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