Author: RubberWorld

NEXEN TIRE announced that it is accelerating its shift to renewable energy at its Korean production sites. As part of this push, the company has signed a Direct Power Purchase Agreement (DPPA) for its Yangsan plant in Korea and is expanding solar self-generation at its Changnyeong and Yangsan plants, with the aim of raising the share of renewable energy used in its manufacturing operations and strengthening its sustainability commitment.

Smithers announced the acquisition of ACS Laboratory located near Tampa, Florida. The acquisition immediately enables Smithers to provide national hemp testing and introduces dedicated peptide testing services. Following completion of the required Florida regulatory approval, Smithers will expand cannabis testing services into the Florida market.

Zeon Corporation has signed a joint development agreement with JCCL Inc. a startup originating from Kyushu University, which is advancing the development and commercialization of lowcost, high-efficiency CO2 separation and recovery technology, to further improve the performance of JCCL’s CO2 absorbents, develop mass production technologies, and scale up JCCL’s CO2 separation and recovery systems.

Akron, OH – Get ready for GPS 2026 with a 30-minute Know Before You Go webinar created by the Rubber

The Yokohama Rubber Co., Ltd., announces that it has developed and begun full-scale operation in August 2026 of a proprietary generative AI system utilizing RAG (Retrieval-Augmented Generation), which searches various technical documents accumulated internally and presents responses based on their contents. This new system contributes to further accelerating and enhancing tire development by providing rapid and accurate access to technical information necessary for decision-making during the tire development process, including material development.

The European Union has withdrawn from the International Rubber Study Group, ending its membership in the intergovernmental organization as of June 30, 2026, according to the group’s current membership information and European Union records.

The departure follows an EU decision to leave the organization, which the European Council formally approved in October 2025. The EU said the IRSG had become an organization of limited and declining relevance as important member countries withdrew over the years.