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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Porsche Carrera Cup North America is entering a new chapter defined by a significant technical partnership and the introduction of an updated race car. A multi-year agreement has been established making Pirelli the official tyre supplier for the championship, marking the first time in the series' six-year history that it will compete on Pirelli rubber. This collaboration reinforces the connection between motorsport engineering and road car performance, a link demonstrated by the bespoke Pirelli P Zero R and P Zero Trofeo RS tyres developed for the road-going Porsche 911 GT3.

The 2026 season will debut the new Type 992.2 Porsche 911 Cup car, an evolution of the brand's successful single-make racer with refinements focused on raceability and handling. It will compete in only four global championships, including the North American series. These cars will be fitted with the Pirelli P Zero DHG tyre, a control tyre already introduced across Pirelli’s global GT championships in 2025. For wet conditions, teams will use the Pirelli Cinturato WHB, the standard wet weather tyre for GT classes since last year.

The P Zero tyres used in the series will carry the Forest Stewardship Council logo, signifying a commitment to sustainable sourcing. This certification ensures the natural rubber originates from forests managed to preserve biodiversity and support local communities, with a supply chain that rigorously separates certified materials from non-certified sources.

The new partnership and the new car will make their on-track debut together during a series-wide test at Sebring International Raceway in mid-February. The 2026 championship season will officially commence at the same venue from 18th to 20th March, running in support of the IMSA WeatherTech Championship’s Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring.

Volker Holzmeyer, President and CEO, PMNA, said, “Porsche and Pirelli share a deep motorsport heritage and a commitment to innovation that carries from the track to the road. We’re excited to welcome Pirelli to our premier Porsche One-Make series as we usher in a new era with the 911 Cup and new Pirelli tyres beginning in 2026.”

Claudio Zanardo, President and CEO, Pirelli North America, said, “Pirelli is thrilled to partner with Porsche Motorsport North America as the tyre supplier for the Porsche Carrera Cup North America, adding to our extensive portfolio of top-level championships supported worldwide. This collaboration demonstrates Pirelli’s dedication to performance and innovation, bringing race-proven technology from the track to the road. Just as Porsche vehicles set the standard for driving excellence, our P Zero tyres define precision, handling and performance in both competition and everyday driving. With motorsport rapidly expanding across North America, attracting more fans and creating new opportunities to showcase high-performance engineering, we are excited to strengthen our presence and support this momentum. Taking on this challenge alongside Porsche, its teams, drivers and the iconic 911 Cup cars is an opportunity for continuous innovation, collaboration and growth throughout the season.”

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Nova Motorsport has solidified its position within historic motorsport by agreeing a significant long-term contract extension with Peter Auto, a leading organiser in the field. This renewed agreement reinforces the British brand’s status as a principal technical collaborator, now with an expanded scope of official supply duties.

Under the terms of the multi-year deal, Nova Motorsport will continue as the exclusive tyre provider for several of Peter Auto’s premier series, including Group C Racing, both Classic Endurance Racing categories (CER1 and CER2) and the 2.0L Cup. The partnership has been formally broadened to now also encompass the Sixties’ Endurance series, a key addition to its portfolio. This season for Sixties’ Endurance is set to run from the Espíritu De Montjuïc event in late March through to the HSR Daytona Classic 24 Hour in November.

The arrangement is a cornerstone of Nova’s historic racing programme, underlining its dedication to supplying proven Avon Motorsport tyre products across Europe’s most esteemed historic platforms. This capability is underpinned by the intellectual property and experienced technical team that transferred to Nova following its 2024 acquisition of Avon Motorsport’s assets from Cooper Tire. Logistical and trackside support for competitors will once again be managed by Peter Auto’s exclusive service partner Sodipneu.

By extending and deepening this relationship, Nova Motorsport strengthens its commitment to the historic endurance racing community. The partnership is poised to support the continued growth and international prestige of Peter Auto’s renowned series, placing Nova at the very heart of the discipline.

Daniel Stanton, Head – Sales and Marketing, Nova Motorsport, said, “We are proud to extend our longstanding partnership with Peter Auto, one of the most respected names in the historic and classic automotive racing community, through a new long-term agreement. This relationship marks the successful transformation of Avon Motorsport into Nova Motorsport, as Peter Auto enters the ASO/ACO era under the leadership of Marc Ouayoun. Historic motorsport sits at the heart of the Nova Motorsport business, and partnering with Europe’s premier historic race championships is the perfect expression of that focus. Adding the Sixties’ Endurance series, which concludes with the HSR Daytona Classic 24 Hour at Daytona Speedway in November, to the Nova Motorsport portfolio accelerates our core strategy and further aligns with our growth targets for the Nova Motorsport brand and Avon and Nova tyre products in North America.”

Marc Ouayoun, Managing Director, Peter Auto, said, “We are delighted to continue and expand our partnership with Nova Motorsport. This collaboration reflects a shared vision based on technical excellence and reliability to ensure authentic and competitive racing across all our series. This partnership also highlights our commitment to historic motorsport and its development, both in Europe and internationally.”

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Goodyear has reached a significant milestone in its global sustainability strategy with the completion of a major solar installation at its Kunshan facility. The 12.3 MW on-site project, which was finished in May 2025 and became grid-connected the following month, supplied 10 percent of the plant's power needs for the remainder of the year. Looking ahead, it is projected to account for more than 12 percent of annual electricity consumption. The system is designed to generate roughly 11,500 MWh of power each year, resulting in an estimated reduction of 7,500 metric tonnes of carbon emissions annually over its 25-year lifespan.

This advancement reinforces the company’s commitment to securing 100 percent renewable electricity for its manufacturing operations by 2030 and achieving total renewable energy use by 2040. Within the Asia Pacific region, cumulative solar investments now contribute more than 40 MW of on-site renewable capacity. Beyond the numbers, the project exemplifies a broader dedication to operational excellence and environmental stewardship, showcasing how innovation can drive meaningful progress towards a cleaner energy landscape.

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NEXEN TIRE has inaugurated the Purple Snow Ivalo Center, a new facility in Ivalo, Finland, specifically designed for the development and testing of winter and all-weather tyres. The launch event brought together the company’s Chief Technology Officer, Jong Myung Kim, and members of the European automotive media, who were able to witness the centre’s advanced capabilities firsthand. This included test-driving winter tyres and touring both the indoor and outdoor testing areas managed by UTAC, Europe’s premier automotive testing organisation, within whose expansive proving ground the new centre is situated near the Arctic Circle.

The establishment of this dedicated facility marks a significant step in the tyre manufacturer’s strategy to enhance its winter tyre research and development. It complements internal efforts such as a specialised laboratory focused on winter road surface characteristics. The newly secured proving ground, under a long-term lease, features a variety of snow handling tracks, including a large flat circuit and courses with different gradients and curves. This real-world testing environment is particularly crucial as several major European countries, including Germany, Italy and Sweden, now mandate the use of winter tyres bearing the Three-Peak Mountain Snowflake symbol. With Europe representing over 40 percent of the company’s revenue, strengthening competitiveness in this market is paramount.

A key advantage of the Ivalo location is its capability to test studded tyres, which are essential for the icy conditions found in Northern Europe, allowing for a more strategic response to regional demand. Beyond immediate testing, the centre serves as a vital link between virtual simulation and physical validation. Following the introduction of a high-dynamic driving simulator, the first in the Korean automotive industry, the company can now instantly verify its performance predictions with on-snow driving tests. This integration is expected to accelerate the advancement of AI-driven virtual development technologies and create new opportunities for original equipment projects, thereby strengthening the foundation for producing high-performance tyres.

This new testing infrastructure is one component of a broader market approach. Complementing the facility’s opening, NEXEN TIRE has been actively expanding its product portfolio. Recent additions include the WINGUARD Sport 3, launched in Europe last year, and the ongoing expansion of the N’BLUE 4Season 2 lineup, an all-weather tyre engineered to satisfy winter tyre requirements.

John Bosco (Hyeon Suk) Kim, CEO, NEXEN TIRE said, “This testing centre brings together a uniquely favourable northern European location with a long winter season and the operational expertise of a leading testing specialist. It will serve as a key hub for advancing our research and development capabilities for winter and all-weather tyres. Based on this foundation, we will continue to enhance our testing and research capabilities in line with the requirements of the European and global markets and further strengthen our competitive position.”

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