German tier 1 supplier Continental has won the ‘Environmental Achievement of the Year – Manufacturing’ and ‘Tire of the Year’ at the Tire Technology International (TTI) Awards for Innovation and Excellence.
The company says its ‘invisible markers in tires’ project beat rival initiatives in the ‘Environmental Achievement of the Year – Manufacturing category for its contribution to greater traceability in the natural rubber supply chain. The Continental PremiumContact 7 won ‘Tire of the Year’, having resolved the trade-off between mileage and rolling resistance to deliver a tyre that is sustainability-focused and offers driving safety.
Dr. Boris Mergell, Head of Research & Development, Continental Tires said, “Our commitment to performance, sustainability and safety runs right across our organisation, and it’s fantastic that once again, this has been recognised.”
Matt Ross, editor-in-chief at Tire Technology International said: “In a closely fought category, Continental’s development of invisible markers to increase the traceability of natural rubber really impressed the judges. This technology showcases Continental’s commitment to not only improving the sustainability of its tyres, but to being part of a global supply chain that holds itself accountable to the highest levels of environmental awareness.“
Together with Security Matters (SMX), an innovative tech platform specialising in giving all materials a memory with digital tracking using unalterable chemical-based barcode, Continental developed a special marker technology for use in natural rubber. It aims at creating greater transparency along the entire value chain of tyres and technical rubber products in the future. Provided with special security features, the use of the marker substances enables the invisible marking of natural rubber with information on its origin. With the aid of special reading devices and specially developed software, the information on the natural rubber can be read out.
With the PremiumContact 7, Continental says it is delivering the seventh generation of its successful premium tyre. For the new generation, developers focused specifically on the most important customer requirement of maximum safety. The introduction of technologies such as a size-specific design, an innovative compound for the tread named RedChili and an adaptive tread design has set new standards in safety and comfort, for a wide range of vehicle concepts including EVs.
The TTI Awards for Innovation and Excellence are considered the most important awards in the tyre industry and recognise the latest developments and advances in tire technology from around the world. The awards are judged by an international jury of more than 20 journalists and leading experts from the tyre industry, and were presented at the Tire Technology Expo 2023, which is taking place in Hanover, Germany, from March 21 to 23.
