The Tire Society has announced the Keynote Speaker, Plenary Lecturer and the Call for Papers, to be considered for presentation at the 42^nd Annual Conference, to be held from 12-13 September, 2023 at the University of Akron, Ohio. The conference is attended by engineers and scientists from the tyre and vehicle industries, academia and government agencies from around the world, to share advances, discuss and learn about innovations that will drive the tyre industry in the years ahead. 

Keynote speaker
This year’s keynote speaker will be David Johansen, Vice-President – Technical at Sumitomo Rubber USA. Johansen has over 25 years of industry experience, joining Sumitomo in 2015, and prior to that, Goodyear, with expertise in tyre design, vehicle testing and simulation, and manufacturing. He has held a number of leadership positions over the years at Sumitomo and Goodyear, including Manager of Tyre Design at Sumitomo from 2017 through 2019, just prior to assuming his current position. He holds a Master of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering from Michigan Technological University and is a member of US Tire Manufacturers Association.

Plenary lecture
The second day of the conference will be anchored by the plenary lecture featuring Burkhard Wies, Vice President – Innovation and Applied Research R&D Tyres at Continental AG. The topic of his talk will be ‘Challenges and Opportunities of Intelligent Tyres to Support Vehicle Performance and Services’. Dr Wies has held a number of management positions in tyre development and industrialisation for replacement and original equipment, since he joined Continental in 1999. Prior to that, he was a tyre development engineer and section head at Uniroyal Englebert Gmh in Aachen, Germany. He is a Program Committee member of VDI (German Association of Engineers) and, for 18 years, was Program Manager for Tires-Suspension- Road VDI-Congress. Dr Wies is a member of the Tire Society Executive Committee Board. He holds a PhD in Mechanical Engineering at Technical University RWTH Aachen and lectures at Leibniz University, Hannover, Germany.

Call for papers
The Tire Society actively encourages students and young professionals to participate, with markedly reduced fees and as presenters, providing opportunities to gain experience, develop leadership skills and network with professionals. Full-time university students are invited to submit their original research for presentation and consideration for publication in the Tire Science and Technology Journal, and so will be eligible for a cash award. Visit here for more details: https://www.tiresociety.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2023/01/1st-Student-Call-for-Papers-2023-v3.pdf 

For the second year running, students can participate at the conference site in person in the Poster Session. The poster presentation provides an opportunity for student presenters to meet and interact in person with scientists and leaders from the tyre industry. Besides the poster, the students would prepare a two-minute video summarising their poster, which will be played within the conference. And, with the submission of a technical note, the student would be placed in competition for consideration for the best poster presentation cash award. Would-be manuscript or poster student presenters have until 29 April, 2023 to be considered.

Presenters at the conference can submit abstracts for consideration through 29 April, 2023 for presentations where the content can be conveyed in 15-20 minutes, including a question/answer period. The theme of the conference is ‘The Intelligent Tire’ but submissions can cover advances on wide ranging topics, including tyre performance and vehicle systems, tyre materials, tyre/road interaction, emerging technology and tyre industry trends, data science and virtual design. Manuscripts will be considered for publication in the Tire Science and Technology Journal.

For more information about the conference, contact conference@tiresociety.org or for more information about the Tire Society, visit www.tiresociety.org

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KraussMaffei has appointed Xinting Ren as Managing Director of its extrusion business, effective 1 September, 2026, combining the role with his existing leadership of the group’s China operations.

Ren succeeds Ralf Benack, who left the company at his own request on 31^st August , ending a tenure of about two years.

The company said the dual appointment is intended to strengthen integration between its extrusion activities and international operations.

Ren has led KraussMaffei China for the past three years, overseeing cross-technology activities in the Chinese market. Before joining the group, he held several management roles in the chemical industry, including Assistant General Manager at KraussMaffei Company Limited, now operating as Sinochem Equipment Technology Qingdao Co., and most recently served as general manager of Shanxi China Coal Pingshuo Energy Chemical Co., Ltd.

Benack took over leadership of KraussMaffei Extrusion in 2024 and was responsible for the group’s global extrusion business. During his tenure, the company focused on operational processes and customer orientation, reducing delivery times and further developing the Technology Center at its Laatzen site.

The facility now offers 26 pilot lines for development and customer projects, and the company said it also expanded its extrusion technology portfolio.

From September, responsibility for the extrusion business and management of the China business will be combined under Ren’s leadership.

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Nokian Tyres plc has introduced a new premium summer tyre, the Powerproof E, designed for Central and Southern European markets, with A-class ratings in all three European Union tyre label categories across its full range.

The company said the tyre achieves top grades for rolling resistance, wet grip and external rolling noise, reflecting a development approach aimed at balancing efficiency, safety and comfort within a single product.

“Whether the priority is maximizing range and efficiency or achieving confidence and comfort in wet conditions, drivers should not have to compromise on safety. The new Nokian Tyres Powerproof E is designed to deliver outstanding performance in the areas that matter most to drivers,” said Tommi Alhola, Senior Vice-President for Passenger Car tyres in Central Europe.

Samu Lepistö, development manager at the company, added: “Achieving A-class ratings in all three EU tire label categories across the entire range is a significant result. These characteristics are all important to today's drivers yet improving one can often affect another. Nokian Tyres Powerproof E was developed to deliver balanced performance across all three areas.”

The tyre incorporates what the company calls Motion Control Technology, combining tread design, compound development and structural engineering to support efficiency and wet-weather performance.

Depending on size, between 40.9 percent and 42.8 percent of the tyre’s material content consists of recycled and renewable inputs, including rice husk ash, recycled carbon black and recycled steel.

Production takes place at the group’s factory in Oradea, Romania, which opened in 2024 and operates with zero direct carbon dioxide emissions, powered by renewable energy.

The Powerproof E is designed for passenger cars, sport utility vehicles and crossover vehicles, including electric, hybrid and internal combustion models. It will be available in sizes ranging from 16 to 20 inches for the 2027 summer season in Central and Southern Europe.

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Continental Tire Canada has appointed Frank Buntinx as its new Managing Director, effective 17 August 2026. In this executive capacity, he assumes comprehensive oversight of the organisation’s entire Canadian tyre portfolio, which encompasses passenger and light truck vehicles, commercial truck lines and specialised tyre segments. His leadership will guide the strategic direction and operational performance across these diverse business units.

A native of Belgium, Buntinx brings over two decades of tenure with Continental, having commenced his career there in 2003 within logistics and supply chain management. Over the years, he has accumulated a broad commercial skillset through successive roles in marketing, pricing strategy, business analytics, fleet operations and sales. His professional trajectory later elevated him to senior leadership positions in the Benelux region, where he directed marketing efforts and subsequently headed Fleet Solutions and Truck Tires, thereby acquiring multifaceted management expertise.

This transatlantic appointment signifies a pivotal career transition for Buntinx, offering him the chance to infuse the Canadian market with an international vantage point. His arrival is anticipated to bolster Continental’s regional presence, leveraging his extensive cross-functional background to navigate the complexities of the domestic tyre industry and drive organisational growth.

“I am truly excited to join Continental Tire Canada and begin this new chapter. Continental has built a strong business and reputation in the Canadian market, and I look forward to working alongside our talented team to build on that success, strengthening Continental's position while supporting the growth and success of our customers,” said Buntinx.

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Sumitomo Rubber Industries, Ltd., which operates the Dunlop brand, will discontinue the supply of karting tyres by the end of 2027 as part of a strategic review of its business and allocation of management resources.

The company said it would continue supplying products to existing customers until December 31, 2027.

Dunlop has produced karting tyres since 1976, supplying products homologated by the Commission Internationale de Karting-FIA (CIK-FIA), under the Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile, as well as tyres accredited by the Japan Automobile Federation.

The company said its products had supported a wide range of users, from recreational drivers to young drivers aiming to compete at higher levels, and had contributed to the development of karting participation.

It added that the decision followed a review of its medium- to long-term management strategy and changes in the business environment.

The group said it would continue to contribute to motorsport activities, while expressing appreciation to customers and organisations that had supported its karting tyre business.

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