After two years of virtual conferences, the Tire Society has returned to an in-person format for the 41st Conference on Science and Technology, to be held September 12th and 13th at the University of Akron. With the return to the University of Akron, where it was originally held, the Tire Society Conference will kick off Tire Week in Akron, officially proclaimed September 12-16 by the Mayor of Akron. Tire Week also includes the International Tire Exhibition and Conference (ITEC), which is the largest tyre manufacturing trade expo and conference in North America. Tire Week will be a can’t-miss opportunity for those who want to achieve a broad grasp of leading-edge Tire Design and Manufacturing technology. 

Please click to the link for the detailed programme: Programme schedule  

Alexis Garcin, Chairman and President, of Michelin North America, will deliver a keynote address at the conference. Tracey Norberg, Senior Vice President & General Counsel of USTMA, will give the plenary lecture titled ‘The Road Ahead – Technology and Policy in the Tyre Industry’ at the conference. Dr Nohoon Ki, Engineering Manager at John Deere, will speak on ‘Round and Green: Engineering for Agriculture’.

The welcoming address will be delivered by Dr Gary L Miller, President of the University of Akron. Under Dr Miller’s leadership, the University of Akron has reaffirmed its reputation as a leading public urban research university, committed to fulfilling its long-standing promises to the people of Akron and Northeast Ohio. 

Wide range of topics

The conference is attended by engineers and scientists from around the world, representing the tyre and vehicle industries, academia and governmental agencies. A wide range of topics on tyre applications, ranging from passenger, high-performance, truck and electric vehicles to off-highway, including aircraft to far off-highway Mars Rover, will be covered in the paper presentations.

There will be a wide array of more than 20 interesting and significant original works by top technologists, presented by the authors themselves.

With this year’s theme, New Horizons in Tyre Evaluation, the papers will cover the characterisation of tyre performance, both physically and with vehicle simulators. Other subjects include numerical predictive methods, data analytics, tyre performance and construction, and rubber compound development.

A panel discussion titled ‘The Future of Tire Testing’, moderated by Heather Bobbitt, Tire Modeling Group Manager, General Motors, will be joined by Christian Bachmann, Senior Manager – Tyre Technology, FKA GmbH; Henning Olsson, Director of Technology, Calspan Corporation; Jonathan Darab, Operations Director, Global Center for Automotive Performance Simulation (GCAPS); Matt Kent, Technical Director of Tire & Wheel Test Lab, Smithers, USA and Sonny Huisman, Manager, Siemens Digital Industries Software.

These experts will discuss the challenges ahead for the tyre industry and provide insights into the next steps in tyre testing. Predictive methods in the emerging ‘digital twin’ era require improved testing methods to understand the physics of tyre mechanical behaviour under circumstances that can cause uncertainty in virtual assessment. Temperature effects, wear behaviour, wet surfaces, soil interaction and snow sinkage are some factors that are not necessarily well understood or integrated when a vehicle-level assessment is concerned.

They will also discuss the testing requirement in developing speciality tyres for racing, agricultural or heavy industrial applications that will remain a challenge for characterisation and parameterisation. Big data, machine learning algorithms and databasing methods and increased leverage of simulation environments are critical enablers for faster turnaround in early vehicle development, which is emerging as an OEM requirement.

Back to roots

This year’s edition will be held at the University of Akron near downtown Akron. In the last 12 years, the conference has only been held downtown once. With the conference’s return in September to its historic home, where it was held for the first 28 years, it is fitting that the Awards Banquet will be kicked off by an address from Mayor Dan Horrigan. 

With the conference’s return downtown to the University of Akron and being aligned in the same week as the International Tire Exhibition and Conference (ITEC) to be held at the John S Knight Center, this ‘Tire Week in Akron’ will provide a nostalgic and informative homecoming, said the organiser.

The conference will be held in a hybrid format.

JK Tyre & Industries Ltd has strengthened its position as a leader in sustainable tyre technology and a conscientious partner in India's green industrial journey by commencing production of its ‘UX Royale Green’ passenger car tyres at its Chennai Tyre Plant using ISCC Plus-certified sustainable raw materials.

Developed in August 2023, the UX Royale Green is made with 80 percent sustainable, recycled and renewable materials and was put to rigorous evaluation and testing. The sustainable tyre is the product of more than 10 years of diligent study conducted by the Global Tech Centre of JK Tyre. The company's research and development team has been concentrating on creating sustainable alternatives to traditional petroleum-based products. The certification confirms the usage of traceable, ethically obtained renewable and recycled raw materials and is given under the internationally recognised International Sustainability and Carbon Certification (ISCC +) system. Certified raw materials for the UX Royale Green include steel wire, recycled polyester, recovered carbonaceous black, bio-attributed polymers, renewable oils and recycled rubber powder. All of these products are sourced using circular methods.

Dr Raghupati Singhania, Chairman & Managing Director, JK Tyre & Industries Ltd, said, "The commencement of sustainable tyre production represents a defining step in JK Tyre’s journey toward environmentally responsible innovation. We are pleased to set new industry benchmarks that balance high performance with ecological responsibility. This milestone reflects our ongoing commitment to driving responsible mobility – anchored in green technology, circular economy principles and the delivery of world-class, low-impact products. At the same time, innovation, quality and safety continue to be foundational to our operations."

Apollo Tyres has launched the ‘Apollo Tyres Healthcare Express’, a mobile medical unit designed to monitor the health of truckers and the surrounding community. C Thomas Mathew, Unit Head, Chennai Plant, Apollo Tyres Ltd, flagged off the unit, which would service major transport hubs within a 50-km radius, including Madhavaram, Manjambakkam and Poonamallee, serving a population of over 10,000 truckers.

For a small consultation charge of INR 10 per visit, this mobile medical unit will offer essential healthcare services to the trucking community. It will provide a wide range of services, such as general medical care, screenings for certain diseases and preventative and awareness programmes. Additionally, it will increase knowledge of important health concerns including HIV/AIDS, STI prevention, vision care, tuberculosis and non-communicable illnesses like diabetes and hypertension. A team consisting of a medical officer (MBBS), a pharmacist, an optometrist, outreach workers and a project coordinator will run Apollo Tyres' Healthcare Express.

Over 12 million people have benefited from the Apollo Tyres Foundation's healthcare initiative for the trucking community since it began in 2000. The organisation reached out to more than a million people in order to raise awareness during the Covid-19 outbreak. In partnership with local authorities, it also made it easier for over 10,000 people to get tested for Covid-19 and for over 150,000 people to get vaccinated.

World-class cyclist and multiple Tour de France champion Tadej Pogačar has joined Continental as its new global ambassador.

This new collaboration with one of the best contemporary cyclists is a logical continuation of Continental's longstanding reputation as a reliable brand in both the automotive and cycling industries. The long-term relationship will place special emphasis on fostering mutual respect and understanding between bikers and drivers. Pogačar and Continental are both dedicated to enhancing communication between drivers and boosting everyone's safety.

In 2024, Pogačar, 26, created history by winning several Monument races and placing first in the Tour de France, the Giro d'Italia and the Road World Championships. Only two riders in history have accomplished this feat. In addition, he earned victories in Liège-Bastogne-Liège and Strade Bianche. He is committed to developing future cycling talent in Slovenia and abroad through his foundation and the ‘Pogi Team’ development squad.

For many years, Continental has maintained a strong presence in the cycling industry. Not only do all of the support cars of the Tour de France use Continental car tyres, but numerous elite teams, including the 2024 winning squad, also use Continental bike tyres. Additionally, Continental is a major sponsor of the Giro d'Italia, providing its automobile tyres to all official support vehicles to increase safety on the difficult 3,000-kilometre course.

Pogačar said, "Top performance is not only the result of talent, but also of the pursuit of continuous development. Continental and I share the ambition to always make the most of our possibilities – both in terms of sport and development. So this partnership was an obvious choice. As a professional cyclist, I know how crucial it is to trust your tyres. Without the right equipment, I wouldn't have become the rider I am today.”

Egemen Atış, Head of Strategy, Analytics & Marketing at Continental Tires EMEA, said, "Tadej Pogačar and Continental both stand for exceptional performance but above all for safe driving. Risky manoeuvres, misjudging situations and thinking only of oneself doesn't win races. Tadej’s ability to see the bigger picture, alongside his extraordinary talent, makes him not only the best cyclist in the world at the moment, but also the perfect partner for Continental."

Indian tyre manufacturer Apollo Tyres Ltd reported a 3% increase in annual revenue to INR 261.23 billion for fiscal year 2024-25, while its net profit fell 35 percent from the previous year.

The company, which markets its products under the Apollo and Vredestein brands, saw its operating profit decline to INR 35.71 billion for the full year, compared with INR 44.47 billion in the previous fiscal year.

For the fourth quarter ended March 31, Apollo Tyres posted a revenue of INR 64.24 billion, up 3% year-on-year, while quarterly net profit dropped to INR 1.85 billion from INR 3.54 billion in the same period last year.

"We acknowledge that our performance over the past few quarters has not met industry benchmarks and our own expectations. After a thorough internal review, we have identified the key challenges that contributed to this underperformance," said Onkar Kanwar, Chairman of Apollo Tyres.

"With targeted strategies now in place to address these issues, we are confident in our ability to deliver stronger results in the coming quarters," he added.

Apollo Tyres, which has manufacturing facilities in India, the Netherlands and Hungary, distributes its products in over 100 countries.