The annual award honours the ideas and work put in by the tyre design and production industry with candidates nominated by TTI readers or the editorial staff and was presented to the world’s fourth largest tyre manufacturer with sales of more than 10 billion euros during the recent Tire Technology Expo in Hanover, Germany.
TTI's independent panel of 27 judges - ranging from Europe, Japan, India and the United States, put in their votes and chose the German tyre manufacturer for its efforts in tyre research and development, testing and production.
Among the tyre-maker's innovations that persuaded the judges were its High Performance Technology Center (HPTC) in Korbach, Germany; Taraxagum research center in Anklam, Germany, for the industrialization of natural rubber from dandelion roots; and the production of its first ever dandelion-rubber-based truck tyre.
The judges also mentioned the announcement of a research and development center for agricultural tyres in Lousado, Portugal, and the expansion of Continental’s truck tyre production operations in Otrokovice, Czech Republic.
Candidates are either nominated by the readers of TTI or put forward by the editorial staff with an independent panel of judges putting in the votes to choose the winners.
Meanwhile, 350 million euros has been invested every year in expanding the company's existing plants around the world.
Along with the construction of Continental’s unique Automated Indoor Braking Analyzer (AIBA) at the Contidrom proving grounds and the opening of the HPTC that helps generate new findings virtually in real-time, which is then communicated to the company's tyre production plants around the world.
In 2016, for the first time ever, the company also produced a worldwide total of more than 150 million passenger car and light truck tyres, while at the same time achieving a much better regional balance between EMEA, The Americas and APAC in terms of production and sales.
Additionally, the company was also honored with the innovation award for tyre production thanks to its ContiLifeCycle plant in Hannover-Stoecken thanks to its unique integration of combining hot and cold retreading system with a rubber recycling facility.
"We are very excited about this award because it appreciates several technology projects and innovations that we have already realized, working consistently within the scope of our Vision 2025 long-term growth strategy,” said Continental AG member of the executive board Nikolai Setzer
“At the same time, being awarded as the most innovative tire manufacturer highly motivates our global team – now more than 50,000 employees – to continue on this path, step by step.”
