priority to safety, such as instructing their employees assigned to the Middle East to work from home and restricting business trips to the region. The impact on business operations remains unclear, and each OEM is hurrying to gather information. Parts suppliers are also busy gathering information. Sumitomo Rubber Industries, Ltd., which operates a plant in Turkey, remarked about the purchase of materials for the plant and the transportation of t...

News  Updated at: 2026/03/03

Sumitomo Rubber to relax criteria for tire material procurement from China Sumitomo Rubber Industries, Ltd. (Sumitomo Rubber) will relax its criteria for the procurement of tire materials from China. While the company previously kept the ratio of procurement from China at 50% or less, it intends to give flexibility. Due to the consolidation and reorganization of chemical manufacturers in Japan, there are concerns that stable supply of tire materi...

News  Updated at: 2026/02/16

Sumitomo Rubber’s e.SPORT MAXX tire selected as original equipment for Leaf EV On January 27, Sumitomo Rubber Industries, Ltd. (Sumitomo Rubber) announced that its “e.SPORT MAXX” tire has been selected as original equipment for the Leaf electric vehicle (EV) B7 grade, which was fully redesigned and launched by Nissan Motor Co., Ltd. Sumitomo Rubber has reduced rolling resistance by adopting its newly formulated material for the tread rubber...

News  Updated at: 2026/01/29

Sumitomo Rubber to collaborate with Cabot to utilize recycled carbon for mass-production tires Sumitomo Rubber Industries, Ltd. (Sumitomo Rubber) announced that it has signed a basic agreement with U.S.-based Cabot Corporation (Cabot) for the commercialization of resource circulation-type reinforcing carbon black. The two companies will proceed with joint studies with the aim of adopting recycled carbon for mass production tires. Cabot is a manuf...

News  Updated at: 2026/01/27

CES2026: Sumitomo Rubber showcasing possible adoption of Sensing Core technology to non-automotive industries, receiving many inquiries for autonomous driving Sumitomo Rubber Industries, Ltd. (Sumitomo Rubber) held a press conference on January 6 local time at CES2026, a digital technology trade fair, to announce that it is considering expanding the use of its proprietary Sensing Core technology beyond automobiles into other industries. Sensing C...

News  Updated at: 2026/01/08

Sumitomo Rubber adopts recycled carbon black for passenger car tires for first time Sumitomo Rubber Industries, Ltd. (Sumitomo Rubber) announced on December 17 that it has, for the first time, adopted carbon black recycled from used tires for mass-production tires for passenger cars. The company began production at its Miyazaki Factory (Miyakonojo City, Miyazaki Prefecture) in November. Rubber scraps generated during the tire manufacturing proces...

News  Updated at: 2025/12/19

Sumitomo Rubber and NEC aiming to revolutionize R&D using AI and quantum technology The digital transformation of the materials industry is moving into full-scale implementation with the use of quantum algorithms and artificial intelligence (AI). Sumitomo Rubber Industries, Ltd. (Sumitomo Rubber) and NEC Corporation (NEC) have begun full-scale operations of their strategic partnership to enhance their research and development (R&D) foundation cen...

News  Updated at: 2025/12/11

Sumitomo Rubber’s new “active tread” technology to change tire rubber performance Sumitomo Rubber Industries, Ltd. (Sumitomo Rubber) plans to launch a new tire in 2028, equipped with next-generation functions of its original “active tread” technology, which changes the functionality of rubber in accordance with driving conditions. The new technology will change the physical characteristics of the rubber when strong external forces are a...

News  Updated at: 2025/12/05

Sumitomo Rubber and NEC announce successful results in search of new tire materials On November 26, Sumitomo Rubber Industries, Ltd. (Sumitomo Rubber) and NEC Corporation (NEC) announced the progress of their advanced efforts as part of their strategic partnership announced in July. They have yielded valid results in the prediction of tire material formulations by utilizing a technology modeled after quantum computers (quasi-quantum annealing tec...

News  Updated at: 2025/11/27

Sumitomo Rubber Thailand to supply DUNLOP GRANDTREK A/T31 as OE tire for Toyota Hilux Travo On November 10, 2025, Sumitomo Rubber Industries, Ltd. announced that its Thai subsidiary, Sumitomo Rubber (Thailand) Co., Ltd., will supply DUNLOP GRANDTREK A/T31 tires as original equipment for the newly unveiled Toyota Hilux Travo, which had its world premiere in Thailand on the same day. Available in sizes 265/65R17 112S and 265/60R18 110H, the GRANDTR...

News  Updated at: 2025/11/12

Sumitomo Rubber to open technical center in Getzville, New York On September 23, Sumitomo Rubber Industries announced plans to open a technical center in Getzville, New York to help support its design and product testing within the North and South American automotive tire market. The technical center is expected to employ around 40 engineers and other salaried professionals. Ten other employees will also be based at Sumitomo's test track in Hunts...

News  Updated at: 2025/09/26

Sumitomo Rubber and Tohoku Univ. visualize stretched crystallization process, contributing to long-life fuel-efficient tires Sumitomo Rubber Industries, Ltd. (Sumitomo Rubber) and Tohoku University announced on September 3 that they have succeeded in visualizing the process of the formation of "stretched crystals", which increases the strength of rubber materials. They aim to contribute to the development of tires with longer life and lower fuel ...

News  Updated at: 2025/09/05

Sumitomo Rubber acquires AI start-up Sumitomo Rubber Industries, Ltd. (Sumitomo Rubber) announced that it has acquired Viaduct, Inc. (Viaduct), a US-based artificial intelligence (AI) venture company. The contract was signed on August 27, and the acquisition cost was USD 104 million (JPY 15.3 billion). Sumitomo Rubber intends to accelerate the expansion of the service with its proprietary prediction and analysis technology, Sensing Core. The two ...

News  Updated at: 2025/09/02

January-June 2025. Net profits for all four companies fell year-on-year, due in part to a backlash from the weak yen. However, sales were mixed with sales of The Yokohama Rubber Co., Ltd. (Yokohama Rubber) and Toyo Tire Corporation increasing, and sales of Bridgestone Corporation (Bridgestone) and Sumitomo Rubber Industries, Ltd. (Sumitomo Rubber) decreasing. There is a high possibility that the U.S. Trump Administration’s additional tariff on...

News  Updated at: 2025/08/25

Sumitomo Rubber to utilize AI to halve tire development period Sumitomo Rubber Industries, Ltd. (Sumitomo Rubber) plans to reduce tire development lead time by half. The company will reduce the number of prototyping by utilizing artificial intelligence (AI) to drastically shorten development, reduce production costs, and improve profitability. Automakers have been accelerating the introduction of new vehicles in the Chinese and other markets, and...

News  Updated at: 2025/08/22

Sumitomo Rubber’s subsidiary receives administrative punishment from Japan Fair Trade Commission On August 7, Sumitomo Rubber Industries, Ltd. (Sumitomo Rubber) apologized made an apology after its subsidiary, Dunlop Tyre Japan, Ltd. (Koto Ward, Tokyo), which sells tires, was found to be subject to administrative sanctions by the Japan Fair Trade Commission. Sumitomo Rubber’s President, Satoru Yamanoto, cited “unsatisfactory leadership over...

News  Updated at: 2025/08/13

Sumitomo Rubber and Kyoto University elucidate internal structure of tire rubber Sumitomo Rubber Industries, Ltd. (Sumitomo Rubber) announced that it has jointly conducted a measurement of the internal structure of tire rubber with Kyoto University. This is part of its collaboration project with the university’s Institute for Chemical Research that began in May 2023. Three-dimensional identification of locations where damage begins during rubbe...

News  Updated at: 2025/08/01

Sumitomo Rubber to launch first Dunlop brand SUV tire for on- and off-road driving Sumitomo Rubber Industries, Ltd. announced the sequential launch of the “Grandtrek R/T01” SUV tire, the Dunlop brand's first SUV tire for both on-road and off-road use starting in August 2025. The Grandtrek R/T01 will be available in 24 sizes from 15 to 18, and 20 inches. The pricing is still undisclosed. (From an article in the Nikkan Jidosha Shimbun on July 2...

News  Updated at: 2025/07/28

itsubishi Fuso Truck and Bus Corporation (Mitsubishi Fuso Truck and Bus), NLJ will carefully determine the areas it focuses on with the provision of paid services in sight. NLJ was established in 2018. Its current shareholders are 25 companies, including Asahi Group Japan, Ltd. (Asahi Group Japan), Sumitomo Rubber Industries, Ltd. (Sumitomo Rubber), and Bridgestone Corporation (Bridgestone). Going forward, each initiative will be reviewed from th...

News  Updated at: 2025/06/23

Sumitomo Rubber develops rubber material for 3D printers with aim to commercialize in 2026 Sumitomo Rubber Industries, Ltd. (Sumitomo Rubber) has developed a new rubber material for 3D printers. The company will first consider adopting the new material for medical and robot hand applications, aiming to achieve commercialization in 2026. Optical molding printers, which use ultraviolet light for solidification, normally use epoxy and other liquid r...

News  Updated at: 2025/05/13