Synthos Announces Inaugural Winners of Rubber Circularity Award

Synthos announces the winner of the Synthos Rubber Circularity Award: collaborative effort between WMG, University of Warwick and the University of Victoria impresses with its breakthrough technology research concept.

Interactions with outstanding scientists from around the world have convinced Synthos to collaborate not only with this formidable global partnership but also with several other renowned research institutes to develop breakthrough technology platforms for synthetic rubber and tire compounds that address climate change and market needs.

Synthos, a global leader in synthetic rubber, has announced WMG, the University of Warwick in Coventry, United Kingdom, and the University of Victoria in Victoria, Canada, as joint recipients of the inaugural Synthos Rubber Circularity Award for their project proposal. Launched in early 2023, this international competition aims to encourage cutting-edge ideas and solutions that will significantly improve the environmental performance of synthetic rubber-based tire compounds, aligning with the sustainability objectives of the global automotive and tire industries.

Matteo Marchisio, Vice President, Synthetic Rubber, stressed the importance of investing in research and development of sustainable rubber and tire materials. “We are very proud of our diverse group of exceptional and talented scientists that make up the Synthos Rubber R&D team. Together with the University of Warwick and the University of Victoria, we see an exciting future in expanding our product development horizons. I firmly believe that by fostering innovation and collaborating with the brightest minds in scientific research, we move not only ourselves but also the entire value chain closer to our goal of carbon neutrality by 2050.”

Synthos Synthetic Rubber R&D Director Dr. Malte Wohlfahrt added, “We congratulate the University of Warwick and the University of Victoria for presenting an impressive research concept that we believe is the best fit for us. However, I also want to acknowledge the excellence of many other entries we received. The Synthos Rubber Circularity Award isn’t just about crowning a winner; it’s about advancing a culture of innovation. Therefore, we intend to collaborate with and invest in some of the other standout scientists and institutes we’ve had the honor to engage with. Overall, this award has sparked immense inspiration across our entire rubber business and given us much food for thought.”

As the award winners, the university collaborators will receive a comprehensive three-year funding package to support a dedicated research team. They will also be provided with Synthos rubber materials and access to its state-of-the-art facilities. In addition, scientists from both institutions and Synthos will form a project team to work closely together and leverage the capabilities of all parties in a way that maximizes the value of the collaboration to the tire industry.

Synthos is the largest synthetic rubber producer in Europe with a broad portfolio of synthetic rubber products and a strong global presence focused on its customers, in high-performance tires and technical rubber goods. Synthos’ differentiated product portfolio and strong sustainability-focused technology roadmap includes solution styrene-butadiene rubber (S-SBR), emulsion styrene-butadiene rubber (E-SBR), high and low cis polybutadiene rubber (Nd-BR, Ni-BR and Li-BR), and recycled rubber powder.

Source: Synthos