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Continental was once again named “Tire Manufacturer of the Year” at this year’s Tire Technology Awards for Innovation and Excellence. The independent jury cited the company’s introduction of new tire technologies, innovative measuring methods and continuous improvements to its production processes as setting new industry benchmarks. Continental also received the “Environmental Achievement of the Year – Manufacturing” award for the work it has done to reduce water withdrawal per metric ton of product in its tire production. The awards were presented by an independent panel of experts during the Tire Technology Expo on March 3 in Hanover. Launched in 2008, the awards are considered among the most important independent honors in the international tire industry. Continental has now been voted “Manufacturer of the Year” five times, including last year.

Continental has reached an important milestone in its global sustainability strategy: Coal and heavy fuel oil have been fully phased out across all tire production sites. Since January 2026, all plants have adopted alternative energy sources to generate the steam required for manufacturing tires and heating. These alternatives include biomass, biogas, electricity from renewable sources, and alternative fuels such as liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) and natural gas in order to ensure a constant energy supply.

The Rubber Division ACS Spring Technical Meeting Symposium will highlight “Reinforcement Effects in Elastomer Nanocomposites: Experimental & Modeling Insights.” This symposium is organized and chaired by Chris Robertson, Principal Consultant at Polymer Technology Services LLC, this symposium explores the fundamental mechanisms governing reinforcement, dissipation and failure in nanoparticle-filled elastomers across strain, temperature and deformation regimes. Combining experiments, scattering, rheology and molecular simulations, the presentations highlight intrinsic performance tradeoffs and offer design principles for advanced rubber and tire materials.

The German rubber industry is in a precarious position after four consecutive years of shrinking production and weakening demand, according to a new press release from the Wirtschaftsverband der deutschen Kautschukindustrie (WDK). The industry association’s latest data shows that both employment and production continued to decline in 2025, while firms increasingly consider relocating manufacturing abroad.