1. Please identify one significant development in the tire industry in the last 2-3 years, and explain its importance.

There has not been one significant development in the tire industry that can be described as revolutionary in the last 50 years. In the last 5 years the significant developments are in the fields of control, RFID and small chemical fully automatic weighing and dosing.

2. What do you see as main obstacles to the development of the tire manufacturing industry in the coming years?

The main obstacles are:

a.       Capex.

b.       Balancing between very high tire building capacity and low curing capabilities.

3. Which technologies will play the biggest role in shaping the ‘tire factory of the future’, and why?

The technologies that will play the biggest role will be automation of material handling, curing and testing facilities.

4. What major changes do you expect to see in tire manufacture and supply over the next few years?

The major changes are for tire production moving back to Europe and the US and tire production separated from compounding.

5. Any other points?

Tire companies become smaller in size, automated and specialized for certain types of tires and sizes.