KraussMaffei has concluded its three-day TechCenter Days 2025 event, drawing approximately 350 international customers to its headquarters in Parsdorf.

The customer event, held from March 31 to April 2 under the motto “Innovation meets technology,” featured expert presentations, plant tours, and demonstrations of injection moulding technologies, automation systems, and additive manufacturing solutions.

Visitors experienced 15 technology exhibits showcasing innovations in sustainable manufacturing, including the company’s ColorForm, FiberForm, and SilcoSet technologies, alongside the newly introduced LRXplus robot and large-format PowerPoint 3D printer.

“We took a lot of positive ideas with us and are looking forward to collaborative projects. The event was perfectly organised, and the catering was fantastic; we will be happy to come back,” said Stefan Meßner, Head of Strategic Procurement at GIWA GmbH.

Fernando Moniz, Advanced Engineering Director at GLN Advanced Solutions S.A., added: “On behalf of GLN, I would like to thank you all for the wonderful TechCenter Days at your premises. The TechCenter Days exceeded my expectations, and my only regret is that the time flew by.”

Company officials reported particularly positive feedback from returning international customers, who noted significant improvements compared to previous editions of the event.

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Bridgestone Americas has unveiled the second cohort of its national adaptive sports grant initiative, channelling USD 200,000 through Bridgestone Americas Trust Fund to eight school districts and nonprofit organisations. This latest allocation, consisting of eight grants valued at USD 25,000 each, is set to enhance athletic opportunities for 1,439 students across 75 public schools.

Despite over seven million public school students receiving special education services, participation in school athletics remains markedly low due to a shortage of adaptive programme resources. Bridgestone’s financial commitment directly confronts this disparity by bolstering both nascent and established K–12 sports offerings.

Building upon an initial 2025 investment, this new funding brings the company’s total two-year contribution to USD 400,000. The current cycle features five returning recipients receiving renewed backing alongside three newly selected grantees, ensuring continuity and fresh expansion.

The awarded funds are earmarked for curriculum development, specialised equipment purchases, and coach training. Recipients for 2026 span multiple states, including organisations and school districts in Ohio, Georgia, Illinois, California, Florida, Indiana and New York.

Wade Munday, Director, Corporate Philanthropy and Social Impact, Bridgestone Americas, said, "Every student deserves the chance to experience the benefits of sports by building confidence, connections and lifelong skills that come from being part of a team. Through these grants, we’re helping schools create more opportunities for students of all abilities to play, compete and reach their full potential both on and off the field."

Coach Rod Harris of Peach County High School in Georgia, a first-time grant recipient through AAASP in 2025, said, “Adding adapted track and field has helped enhance and grow our overall track and field programme. Everyone learns from each other, and it creates a strong sense of camaraderie within the team. It’s incredibly impactful, and we want to continue growing the programme because it is truly inclusive.”

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Comerio Ercole maintained a busy international exhibition schedule throughout June 2026, following its successful participation at INDEX Geneva in May. The company showcased its latest innovations for the plastics and rubber sectors at PLAST 2026 in Milan. The tour progressed to São Paulo, Brazil, for Expobor & Pneushow 2026, Latin America’s most significant rubber and tyre industry fair. This event served as a platform to reinforce ties with established local clients, engage with potential partners and discuss future collaborations.

The firm also attended Saudi Plastics & Petrochem 2026 in Riyadh, a critical gathering for the Middle Eastern petrochemical market. The exhibition underscored rising regional interest in sophisticated processing technologies, consolidating Comerio Ercole’s footprint in an area investing heavily in industrial expansion.

The company hosted an official delegation from Svilajnac, Serbia, at its Busto Arsizio headquarters to bolster economic and industrial exchanges between the regions. Comerio Ercole presented its expertise in rubber and plastics machinery while fostering dialogue on innovation and future partnerships. The company thanked the Municipality of Busto Arsizio and participating organisations for facilitating the exchange.

The newly launched JET – Joint Embossing Technological Center, a venture with the Italian SIMEC Group, has attracted attention within the technical materials industry. The market outlook for the first half of 2026 remains positive, with sustained investments from tyre and rubber clients complemented by growing opportunities in plastics processing. With numerous global projects underway, Comerio Ercole acknowledged the trust placed in its engineering capabilities by customers and partners, whose collaboration remains central to its growth.

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Continental has been awarded a gold medal in the 2026 EcoVadis Sustainability Rating, securing 84 points out of 100. This elevates the automotive supplier into the global top five percent of companies scrutinised by the Paris-based organisation. The evaluation marked a shift, as the company was examined for the first time under the ‘manufacture of rubber tyres and tubes’ classification, having previously been benchmarked under ‘parts and accessories’.

The highest scores came in environmental stewardship and labour practices, with 86 points earned in each. EcoVadis analysts weighed climate action plans, management frameworks and public sustainability disclosures. The firm's certification portfolio, procurement policies and execution of internal processes also contributed to the final rating.

Continental has boosted renewable and recycled input utilisation to 28 percent of tyre production materials as of 2025, with a roadmap calling for 40 percent by decade's end. Current lines incorporate reclaimed polyester from plastic bottles, repurposed steel, silica from agricultural ash and synthetic rubber from circular feedstocks. The group is intensifying supply web oversight through certified sourcing and binding sustainability clauses for primary vendors.

Absolute carbon output from tyre manufacturing has dropped by roughly 180,000 metric tonnes over four years, driven by cleaner energy carriers. In early 2026, Continental permanently ceased coal and heavy fuel oil combustion across its global footprint. Plants now generate process steam via green electricity, biomass, biogas and a mix of LPG and natural gas for grid stability. Since 2007, EcoVadis has expanded to over 150,000 rated entities, offering a digital platform for buyers and suppliers to compare supply-chain sustainability performance.

Jorge Almeida, Head of Sustainability for Continental’s Tires group sector, said, “Even in our new industry category, with its different assessment criteria, we continue to rank among the top 5 percent of companies worldwide. Our particularly strong score in the environment theme highlights the measures and management approaches we have implemented to achieve our sustainability targets – from using renewable and recycled materials to further reducing emissions at our plants.”

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The Association of Natural Rubber Producing Countries (ANRPC) is convening a major sustainability forum in Kochi, India, on 19 August 2026. The day-long event, running from 9:00 AM to 4:30 PM IST at the Crowne Plaza, represents a critical milestone for the natural rubber sector. Building upon the foundational discussions from the 2025 ANRPC meetings and the recent COP30 conference, the forum will unite member governments, industry leaders, non-governmental organisations and compliance bodies to advance a unified sustainability agenda.

The core objective of the gathering is to secure endorsement for the ANRPC’s Sustainable Natural Rubber Guidelines. A primary focus will be on deploying open-source traceability tools designed to facilitate compliance with the European Union Deforestation Regulation while ensuring that these measures do not impose additional financial burdens on smallholders and small-to-medium enterprises. The thematic discussions will be structured around environmental responsibility, including net-zero strategies, economic sustainability to protect smallholder livelihoods and fair pricing and market adaptation through sustainable finance for emerging sectors like electric vehicles and green construction.

The programme will feature five dedicated sessions covering net-zero pathways, national progress reports from India, Malaysia and Thailand and industry case studies from Indonesia, Cambodia and Vietnam. A key panel discussion will see government representatives and supply chain actors making future commitments. Attendance is targeted at ANRPC member states, supply chain stakeholders, rubber associations, environmental groups and relevant compliance organisations.

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