Bridgestone, Arlanxeo and Solvay have brought their expertise together and introduced TECHSYN, a new tyre technology platform to deliver better wear efficiency, rolling resistance and wet grip.

Bridgestone said TECHSYN is a combination of optimised synthetic rubber and tailormade silica, interacting at a molecular level that delivers 30 percent better wear efficiency and reduces rolling resistance by 6 percent, compared to other conventional Bridgestone EMIA4 summer products.

To ensure less tyre wear material loss, the companies focused on performance improvements in tyre wear throughout the development of TECHSYN.

All three industry leaders Bridgestone, Arlanxeo, and Solvay, transformed from concept to reality in just 24 months.

The Japanese's tyre maker now plans to bring in TECHSYN for mass production, with various tyre categories.

TECHSYN has the unique ability to balance a tyre's performance across rolling resistance, wear and wet grip and can be further adapted to meet varying needs. For example, TECHSYN's wear advantage can be converted to enhance a tyre's wet grip instead. The flexibility TECHSYN provides is made possible thanks to Solvay's unique advanced silica developments, ARLANXEO's expertise in developing, manufacturing and delivering novel tyre polymers and Bridgestone's innovative compound technology.

TECHSYN has been designed to bring its benefits to various tyre categories and vehicles. Thanks to the unique flexibility it enables, it can do so in combination with Bridgestone's other leading tyre technologies. For example, when used alongside Bridgestone's lightweight ENLITEN Technology, the tyre's weight can be further reduced while retaining its performance.

Commenting on the announcement, Laurent Dartoux, President & CEO, Bridgestone EMIA said: "At Bridgestone, we fundamentally believe that ground-breaking innovation and the future of mobility can't be achieved without collaboration. The partnership in which TECHSYN is rooted has evolved to become one of the most unique we have ever been part of. As a global leader in advanced solutions and sustainable mobility, we're moving forward with innovation and sustainability at the core of everything we do at Bridgestone. Through developing environmentally-driven solutions like TECHSYN, we're making great progress on delivering against that ambition."

Arlanxeo's CEO, Donald Chen, also commented: "We at Arlanxeo are committed to delivering outstanding, customer-centric, elastomer solutions. By bringing together in partnership the combined know-how, skill and creativity of three world-class companies that are championing different parts of the tyre supply chain, we have been able to develop a new technology platform that offers new ways to address challenges specific to the tyre industry. TECHSYN enables improved fuel economy and tyre wear properties at the same time, with no performance trade-offs. As a result, tyres made with TECHSYN contribute to reduced CO2 emissions. Therefore this technology makes a significant contribution to improving environmental aspects, which is at the heart of the shared vision for sustainable product solutions held by the three companies that made it all happen."

Dr Ilham Kadri, Solvay's CEO, added: "TECHSYN demonstrates what can be achieved when key actors in the value chain join forces. To protect our one and only planet, we must reinvent, collaborate and co-construct solutions to design tomorrow's cleaner mobility. I'm proud of all the teams who contributed to this project, in particular the speed with which they brought this innovation to reality."

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Starrett-Bytewise has appointed GL Inspect GmbH as its new European sales representative. The German firm, led by Christian Lantzsch and based in Hargesheim, will oversee regional operations. The partnership aims to provide local expertise for demanding measurement challenges across tyre plants, steel mills and extrusion lines.

Lantzsch and the GL Inspect team bring a sophisticated understanding of non-contact metrology. Their technical background aligns with the diverse industrial sectors served by Starrett-Bytewise, ensuring that European customers receive support tailored to specific materials and production environments. The collaboration strengthens local technical knowledge and on-site application assistance.

Under this agreement, European customers gain direct access to local consultations and expanded on-site evaluations led by Lantzsch’s team. Laser measurement solutions can be better integrated into individual production lines. The partnership also streamlines communication and support, building on existing European infrastructure to enable seamless transitions to automated in-line inspection.

The appointment represents a significant investment in European infrastructure. Having GL Inspect on the ground shortens the distance between Starrett-Bytewise’s U.S. engineering team and local factory floors. Faster application assessments, more frequent site visits and industry-specific language support are key outcomes of the new arrangement.

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NTE Holding has officially established NTE Mechatronics Srl, a new entity focused on developing advanced mechatronic machinery and systems for the tyre industry, with specialised emphasis on the off-the-road (OTR) and agricultural sectors. The company is headquartered in Rovereto, within the Trentino innovation ecosystem, and represents a strategic evolution of the holding’s industrial vision to integrate process engineering, automation and intelligent mechatronics for next-generation manufacturing solutions worldwide.

Built upon the industrial legacy and technical expertise of the former Marangoni Meccanica organisation, the new venture goes beyond a simple asset acquisition. According to Fabio Novelli, NTE Holding’s President and CEO, the goal was to relaunch and transform a historic industrial competence into an innovation platform for the future. NTE Mechatronics merges deep knowledge in industrial automation, process technologies and mechatronics with the broader NTE Group’s engineering capabilities, working closely with NTE Process, which is known for advanced upstream technologies such as dense-phase conveying, storage, dosing, and batching systems for the rubber and tyre sector.

Strategic collaborations with Trentino Sviluppo, the University of Trento and the ProM Facility support accelerated research, reverse engineering, metal 3D printing and rapid industrialisation. Today, the company is rapidly expanding its engineering and organizational structure to strengthen capabilities in advanced mechatronic integration, AI-driven process optimisation, predictive monitoring, smart diagnostics, energy-efficient manufacturing and custom-engineered machinery for next-generation tyre production. Core to its philosophy is a strong belief in the value of Italian engineering and manufacturing culture.

For 2026, NTE Mechatronics has set strategic priorities that include reconnecting with former Marangoni Meccanica customers, reinforcing international commercial activities and developing new technologies specifically for the OTR and agriculture tyre sectors, with Europe and the United States as primary target markets. The establishment of the company marks a significant advancement in the group’s growth trajectory, reaffirming its commitment to technological excellence and industrial specialisation.

Novelli said, “We saw the opportunity to remodel a significant industrial legacy into an innovation platform. This approach has enabled us to preserve specialised expertise, ensure industrial continuity and relaunch a historic Italian company with a forward-looking vision. At NTE Mechatronics, we believe that Italian engineering represents far more than technical competence – it is a culture of craftsmanship, creativity and industrial vision. Companies choose Italy when they are looking for something beyond standardisation: distinctive solutions, superior quality, advanced engineering and a different way of thinking about manufacturing.”

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Yokohama Rubber has established a new research and development centre in Hangzhou, China, as the Japanese tyre maker seeks to strengthen localised product development and speed up response times in the Chinese market.

The new facility, named Yokohama China Technical Center, began operations in May within the company’s new passenger car tyre plant in Hangzhou, which started production in November 2025.

The company said the centre would enable the local development of products specifically for the Chinese market, from initial research through to completion, helping to accelerate product launches and improve responsiveness to regional demand.

The centre will consolidate R&D functions for Yokohama Rubber’s tyre and multiple business divisions in China, while expanding engineering staff and testing facilities. Its activities will include tyre development, raw material analysis and evaluation, supplier audits, and mould drawing preparation.

Yokohama Rubber said the new operation would also support research into new raw materials and the development of local suppliers in China.

The company currently operates tyre plants in Hangzhou and Suzhou, alongside multiple business plants in Hangzhou and Weifang.

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Chhattisgarh-based technology company Aarika Innovation has introduced KoolWheel, an automated tyre water spray cooling system manufactured in India.

The product is designed for freight vehicles and school buses to manage tyre overheating caused by road surface temperatures.

The system uses IR (infrared) temperature sensors, a 5-bar pump and solenoid valves to spray a mist on tyres when temperatures exceed a threshold. The hardware operates on a 12V setup and includes a controller that requires no driver intervention. Dashboard indicators and buzzers provide alerts regarding system status and temperature levels.

The company has introduced two variants of the product for KoolWheel Freight, which is designed for trucks, trailers and multi-axle vehicles, covering up to 22 tyres across six axles. And KoolWheel SchoolSafe, which is developed for school buses and coaches, featuring a 50-litre stainless steel tank and an automatic shutoff to prevent battery drain.

The company states the system can reduce tyre temperatures by up to 25deg Celsius and extend tyre life by up to 35 percent. The technology is intended to reduce the risk of blowouts and maintenance costs for fleet operators. The product is currently available in markets including Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan and Telangana.

Swayam Agarwal, Founder, Aarika Innovation, said, “KoolWheel has been created to solve a very real problem faced by Indian transporters and school bus operators every day. Tyre overheating is not just a maintenance issue; it directly impacts road safety, operating costs, and fleet reliability. With KoolWheel, our aim is to offer an affordable, intelligent, and Made-in-India solution that helps fleets run safer, longer, and more efficiently.”

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