On the occasion of the tenth anniversary of the founding of the Silao factory, Pirelli will invest 114-million-euro investment - already envisaged in the 2021-2022 - 2025 industrial plan. 

The construction – planned for the two-year period 2022- 2023 – is aimed at further increasing high value production at the Mexican site. The investment confirms the strategic importance of the plant and will see an increase in production capacity of over one million pieces for a total of 8.5 million tyres by 2025 when fully operational (from 7.2 million at the end of 2022). With an expansion of the production area of 16,000 square meters to over 220,000 and further improvement of the mix, the investment will also create of 400 new jobs for a total of 3,200 employees when fully operational. 

The investment was announced during the visit by the governor of the Mexican state of Guanajuato, Diego Sinhue Rodríguez Vallejo, to the Silao factory for the celebration of its tenth anniversary. The ceremony also saw the participation of the Executive Vice Chairman and CEO of Pirelli, Marco Tronchetti Provera, via video message and was attended by the Ambassador of Italy to Mexico, Luigi De Chiara, the President and CEO of Pirelli North America, Claudio Zanardo and the CEO and General Manager of Pirelli Neumaticos SA Mexico, Paolo Benea.

“The Silao plant has made an important contribution to the success of Pirelli’s global strategy of becoming the leader in the High Value segment. When we chose Silao, and the Guanajuato region, as the location for a new plant 10 years ago, our expectations were very high. Today I am happy to say that we have achieved our goals and that the factory and the people who work there have exceeded our expectations. In fact, the Silao plant is one of the most technologically advanced in the Group and will soon host a new Pirelli R&D Centre. As we have for 10 years, we continue to strongly believe in Silao and its people”, said Marco Tronchetti Provera, Executive Vice Chairman and CEO of Pirelli.

“Mexico is a strategic area for Pirelli for all its activities in North and Central America and with this investment we will further increase Pirelli’s technological and industrial competitiveness. I wish to thank all the people and the institutions, who over these years have contributed to the growth of the Silao factory”, said Claudio Zanardo, President and CEO of Pirelli North America.

“In Guanajuato we are very proud to have Pirelli in our state, and to celebrate its tenth anniversary of the Silao plant, as well as the 150th anniversary of its foundation worldwide.

The presence of Pirelli in Guanajuato, one of the most advanced companies in innovation and technology, supports our continued advancement from manufacturing to mindfacture.

Pirelli and Guanajuato, share values and a vision of the future, enabling us to build a success story together. Constant investments confirm the strategic importance of this plant and ratifies the confidence that Pirelli has in our state. We are thankful for this commitment which will strengthen our development and generate more jobs for Guanajuato families”, said Diego Sinhue Rodríguez Vallejo, the Governor of the Mexican state of Guanajuato.

Located within the Silao “Puerto Interior” industrial hub, in the state of Guanajuato, one of Mexico’s major logistics centers and key economic and technology hubs, Pirelli inaugurated the plant in 2012 to serve the local and North American markets.

In the last ten years, the Silao plant has grown at a remarkable speed, progressing from a capacity of around 1.5 million tyres and a staff of 300 people at the end of 2012 to a capacity of 7.2 million tyres at the end of 2022 and around 2,800 employees. Its production is focused on the High Value segment, producing High Performance and Ultra-High Performance tyres for passenger cars, electric vehicles, SUVs and Light Trucks.

The Mexican plant has always delivered the most innovative Pirelli solutions, like Cyber Tyre, PNCS (Pirelli Noise Cancelling System™), and RFID writing, aimed at tracking tyres to provide product information to the entyre logistics chain. Equipped with the group’s most advanced production processes, in recent years the Mexican factory has implemented the principles of Industry 4.0, in addition to a growing engagement with environmental care, adopting international standards that promote electricity and water savings, and ensure the recycling of waste from the plant.

The commitment announced today brings Pirelli’s investment in the Mexican plant since its foundation to more than 800 million euro and follows the announcement in May 2022 of the creation of the Italian company’s first Research and Development Center in Mexico, which is in addition to the 13 existing centers around the world. Innovation is in fact an essential element of Pirelli’s strategy and the company annually invests around 6% of its revenue from High Value products in R&D and has over 6,700 patents.

 “PIRELLI, THE CULTURE OF INNOVATION”, A BOOK CELEBRATING THE 10th ANNIVERSARY.

To celebrate a milestone as important as the tenth anniversary of its foundation, Pirelli Mexico has published a book entitled “Pirelli, the culture of innovation,” edited by Trilce Ediciones and realised also thanks to the contribution from Fondazione Pirelli and the material housed in the company’s Historical Archives: a way to commemorate the local legacy of a company that in January 2022 marked 150 years of activity with worldwide celebrations. The book retraces the development stages of the Silao plant, its rapid growth, deep roots in the territory and among local communities, and Pirelli’s contribution to the development of the Guanajuato Region.

The celebration of the tenth anniversary of the Silao plant takes on particular importance in a year when Pirelli is commemorating 150 years since its foundation in Milan, where on January 28, 1872, the 23-year-old Giovanni Battista Pirelli founded a rubber factory that would become one of the most innovative and technologically advanced companies in the world. Known for its production excellence and as a lifestyle brand, active in culture, sport and motorsport at the highest levels, Pirelli today has 18 production plants in 12 countries and a commercial reach in over 160 countries.

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A population of over 1.4 billion people catapulting into the world’s third largest automobile market with four million trucks plying across a road network of 6.3 million kilometres supported by a USD 13.4 billion tyre market and a mining sector contributing around 2–2.5 percent of the country’s GDP demonstrate the strength of India’s automobile, freight and tyre sectors.

The story doesn’t end there as the Central Government adopts a strategic approach on reducing carbon emissions across these verticals, especially automobile and tyres, with targets such as the Net Zero Carbon Emissions by 2070, battery electric vehicles target by 2030, zero-emission truck corridors, Extended Producer Responsibility for the tyre sector; the list just goes on.

Amidst all such statistics and targets, a silent spectator remains the old and varied sector of tyre retreading. In a recent news story reported by Tyre Trends, the Indian Tyre Technical Advisory Committee (ITTAC) had made a proposal to Tyre Retreading Education Association (TREA) for mandating certain standards that will improve the quality of retreads.  ITTAC has made recommendations to the BIS committee. TREA is part of the same committee. ITTAC and TREA are recommending different standards.

These standards included BIS retread standards, namely IS 15725, IS 15753, IS 15524 and IS 9168. The ITTAC had partially aligned Indian requirements with ECE R109, the European regulatory benchmark.

In a reply to the proposal, which was accessed by Tyre Trends, TREA urged the Indian Tyre Technical Advisory Committee to seek a deferment or non-applicability of BIS standard IS 15704:2018 for retreaded commercial vehicle tyres, warning that mandatory enforcement could cripple the sector.

In the letter, TREA argued that IS 15704:2018 is largely modelled on new tyre manufacturing norms and is technically unsuitable for retreading, which is a restoration and recycling process.

The standard mandates advanced laboratory tests such as spectrometer-based rubber analysis, endurance testing and compound uniformity checks, requirements that most retreading units, particularly small and medium enterprises, are not equipped to meet

The association highlighted that even large retreaders lack the infrastructure and skilled manpower needed for BIS-grade testing, while the sheer number of retreading units would make inspections and certifications operationally unmanageable for regulators.

TREA warned that compliance costs linked to machinery upgrades, audits and quality control could force 70–80 percent of units to shut down, leading to job losses, higher fleet operating costs and adverse environmental outcomes due to reduced recycling

Instead, TREA proposed that BIS prioritise retreading-specific standards such as IS 13531 and IS 15524, which focus on materials, process control, safety and quality consistency.

The body has also called for a phased transition roadmap, MSME support and industry training before any stricter norms are enforced, stressing that abrupt implementation would undermine the sector’s role in India’s circular economy.

The conundrum

India has a total of 36 administrative divisions comprising 28 states and 8 union territories. The tyre retreading sector has been continuously supporting circularity goals since the early 1970s across the world’s largest economy without getting mainstream recognition.

Even after five decades in service, the industry battles different bottlenecks including fragmentation, manpower shortage, tax pressures brought about by the recent GST revisions and now the implementation of such standards, just to name a few.

The sole practice that can simultaneously reduce carbon emissions from tyres and extend tyre life is assumed the nemesis of an ‘infamous and dangerous practice’ in some states of the country.

However, the industry has been drawing its techniques and quality parameters from the world’s oldest retreading economy, Europe.

“Big retreaders in India already have the necessary processes in place that conform to IS 15524 standards. However, as the standard is not yet mandated, we have voiced support for it because it is process-oriented and outlines how retreading should be carried out, including buffing and building procedures,” said TREA Chairman Karun Sanghi.

He added, “This standard focuses on how the work is done rather than imposing product-level testing that cannot be practically implemented. The current debate on IS 15704 stems from it being fundamentally incompatible. The standard includes requirements such as sidewall marking and destructive testing of retreaded tyres, which are impractical in a retreading environment where each tyre differs in brand, size, application and usage history,” he added.

Destructive testing, he argued, assumes uniform batch sizes. In retreading, where every casing is unique, testing even a single tyre would mean destroying finished products without yielding representative results. Applying such a framework would effectively require the destruction of every tyre in a batch, making compliance unviable.

“We have submitted our response to ITTAC and are awaiting feedback from the committee. We remain open to continued dialogue and will engage further once the committee responds to our submission,” said Sanghi.

According to him, a typical retreader processes about 300 tyres a month across multiple brands including MRF, JK Tyre, Apollo and Michelin and applications ranging from buses and trucks to mining vehicles. These casings vary widely in load cycles, operating conditions and duty patterns, often across several models from the same manufacturer.

The committee has cited European standard ECE R109, but Sanghi points to structural differences: “Europe is a global retreading hub where tyre manufacturers such as Michelin and Bridgestone dominate operations, collect their own tyres, retread them and return them to fleets, making batch-based destructive testing relevant. A similar model exists in US, where large tyre companies lead retreading and largely self-regulate without a single overarching standard. The Indian scenario is different, especially with a fragmented market.”

He stressed that the industry is not opposed to standards but to those that cannot be practically applied, warning that adopting European manufacturing-oriented norms without accounting for India’s market structure and operating realities would be counter-productive.

The debate is no longer about whether standards are needed but whether they are fit for purpose. Without accounting for India’s fragmented retreading ecosystem, enforcing impractical norms could dismantle a circular industry in the name of compliance.

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The second season of TGL Presented by SoFi, where Hankook Tire serves as the Founding and Official Tire Partner, commenced on 28 December 2025. This innovative league, a venture of TMRW Sports with backing from icons like Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy, represents a strategic alignment for Hankook, uniting two entities driven by technological advancement. The partnership provides a global platform to reinforce Hankook's premium brand positioning across North America and worldwide through extensive visibility during broadcasts and at the state-of-the-art SoFi Center in Florida.

This unique venue embodies the league's fusion of sport and technology, featuring a massive simulator with a dedicated ScreenZone and a dynamic GreenZone. This area, equipped with a turntable and over 600 actuators, meticulously replicates real-world golf conditions indoors, creating an immersive arena experience. The competition itself is fast-paced and engaging, with teams of PGA TOUR players competing in Triples and Singles sessions over 15 holes. Innovative elements like the point-doubling ‘Hammer’, real-time strategy via ‘Hot Mic’ and a Shot Clock ensure a dynamic spectacle for fans.

The season opener presented a compelling narrative as a rematch of the inaugural finals, pitting the undefeated Atlanta Drive GC, featuring Justin Thomas and Patrick Cantlay, against a determined New York Golf Club squad led by Matt Fitzpatrick and Xander Schauffele. This match set the tone for an intensive season running through March, where six teams and 24 top golfers will compete. For Hankook, this partnership is more than signage; it is an active engagement with a global community, delivering a distinctive brand experience that bridges cutting-edge mobility and sport for enthusiasts everywhere.

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Dunlop (company name: Sumitomo Rubber Industries, Ltd.) has made its way to the annual A-List of CDP for climate change and water security. This premier designation, awarded for the first time to the company in the 2025 evaluation, recognises world-leading performance in transparency, risk management and environmental action. CDP’s annual assessment is a key benchmark for corporate sustainability across climate, water and forests.

This achievement stems from the Group’s integrated approach to material issues outlined in its corporate philosophy. It treats the interconnected challenges of climate change, biodiversity and the circular economy holistically, advancing concrete initiatives under its long-term ‘Driving Our Future’ sustainability policy.

On climate, the Group’s science-based emission reduction targets for 2030 are validated by the Science Based Targets initiative. Operational efforts include pioneering green hydrogen production at its Shirakawa Factory and developing tyres made entirely from sustainable materials by 2050. The company also works to reduce emissions across its supply chain, lowers tyre rolling resistance to improve vehicle fuel economy and extends product life through retreading.

For water security, the strategy is driven by localised risk assessments at global production sites. In seven facilities identified as high-risk, the goal is to achieve 100 percent wastewater recycling by 2050. Progress is already evident, with the company’s Thailand factory reaching full wastewater recycling in 2024.

These coordinated actions on multiple environmental fronts formed the basis for the Group’s simultaneous top-tier recognition in both critical categories from CDP.

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Bridgestone Corporation has initiated a novel co-creation programme in partnership with Ethiopian Airlines and Ethiopian Airports, focused on enhancing aviation safety at Addis Ababa Bole International Airport. This marks Bridgestone’s first sustained three-way collaboration with both an airline and an airport authority, targeting the reduction of Foreign Object Debris on runways and taxiways to support safer and more reliable aircraft operations.

The project was prompted by tyre-related incidents linked to debris at the airport, which previously risked disrupting flight schedules. Leveraging its specialised system for inspecting used airline tyres and analysing debris data, Bridgestone assessed conditions at the hub and proposed a tailored action plan. The company provided continuous support by analysing debris distribution patterns, developing visual hazard maps, advising on efficient collection methods and conducting training to raise awareness among airport personnel.

These sustained efforts have yielded significant results, substantially lowering the rate of tyre damage caused by runway debris compared to levels before the collaboration began. This reduction has supported improved on-time performance for Ethiopian Airlines while advancing overall operational safety. Additionally, the initiative has encouraged greater use of retreaded tyres, promoting economic efficiency and environmental sustainability within the airline’s operations.

Looking ahead, Bridgestone and Ethiopian Airlines Group plan to deepen their co-creation efforts, aiming to generate further value for the aviation sector and broader society through continued innovation and partnership.

Retta Melaku, Chief Operating Officer, Ethiopian Airlines, said, "At Ethiopian Airlines, the safety of our passengers, employees and aircraft is a priority. We are pleased to collaborate with Bridgestone to further strengthen our efforts in reducing FOD at Addis Ababa Bole International Airport and ensure safe operations at the hub airport."

Getaneh Adera, Managing Director, Ethiopian Airports, said, "We remain fully committed to upholding the highest safety standards at Bole International Airport at all times. This significant achievement in reducing FOD is the result of our strong commitment for safe operations and close collaboration with Bridgestone. Through our co-creation activities, we are pleased to have realised safer operations with enhanced productivity and economic value."

Jean-Philippe Minet, Managing Director, Bridgestone Aircraft Tire (Europe) S.A., said, "By combining the learnings and insights from Ethiopian Airlines' operational issues with our analysis technology and know-how, we have deepened our co-creation to propose customised solutions. We are delighted to contribute to safe aircraft operations with peace of mind and to improved operational productivity through the co-creation of efficient FOD reduction on airport surfaces. Through further expansion and evolution of this solution, we will amplify the value of our ‘Dan-Totsu Products’, trust with our customers and value of the data for creating new value."

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