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

Goodyear completes sale of Dunlop brand to Sumitomo The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company (Goodyear) announced that it has completed the sale of the company's rights to the Dunlop brand in Europe, North America and Oceania for consumer, commercial and other specialty tires, together with certain associated intellectual property and inventory, to Sumitomo Rubber Industries, Ltd. (Sumitomo Rubber). Gross cash proceeds at closing totaled USD 735 millio...

News  Updated at: 2025/05/09

European Commission clears acquisition of Dunlop Tire Business by Sumitomo Rubber Industries On April 10, the European Commission approved, under the EU Merger Regulation, the acquisition of sole control of Dunlop Tire Business of the US, by Sumitomo Rubber Industries of Japan. The transaction relates primarily to the manufacture of rubber tires. The Commission concluded that the notified transaction would not raise competition concerns, given th...

News  Updated at: 2025/04/11

Sumitomo Rubber identifies rubber cracking mechanism Sumitomo Rubber Industries, Ltd. (Sumitomo Rubber) announced on March 19 that it has unraveled the mechanism of rubber cracking that affects the durability of tires. In joint research conducted with the Dresden University of Technology in Germany, the company has identified factors responsible for “rubber material cracking” and analyzed the force exerted on the tip of cracks by using simula...

News  Updated at: 2025/03/21

Sumitomo Rubber sets business profit ratio of 15% or more for 2030 Sumitomo Rubber Industries, Ltd. (Sumitomo Rubber) aims to achieve a business profit ratio of 15% or more in 2030. The company, which achieved a business profit ratio of 7% earlier than its previous goal of 2027, has set a more aggressive long-term goal. It plans to shift to a highly profitable corporate structure by raising the sales ratio of its new all-weather tires and other p...

News  Updated at: 2025/03/11

Four domestic tire manufacturers’ revenue rose in FY2024, but Bridgestone anticipates loss in revenue and profit in the current fiscal year All four domestic tire manufacturers said their revenue rose on a consolidated basis in the fiscal year ended in December 2024. However, they have different prospects for the future, with Sumitomo Rubber Industries, Ltd. (Sumitomo Rubber), The Yokohama Rubber Co., Ltd. (Yokohama Rubber), and Toyo Tire Corpo...

News  Updated at: 2025/02/21

Sumitomo Rubber to raise premium tire ratio to 60%, add new line at Shirakawa Factory Sumitomo Rubber Industries, Ltd. (Sumitomo Rubber) will enhance the production system for large-diameter, high-value-added premium tires. The company will consolidate the production of general-purpose tires at Shirakawa Factory in Shirakawa City, Fukushima Prefecture, and build a new line in its open space to effectively produce premium tires. It will introduce ...

News  Updated at: 2025/02/20

Sumitomo Rubber and Mitsubishi Chemical to collaborate for carbon black recycle system for tires Sumitomo Rubber Industries, Ltd. (Sumitomo Rubber) and Mitsubishi Chemical Corporation (Mitsubishi Chemical) announced on January 30 that they will collaborate for the circulation of carbon black for tires. They plan to chemically recycle used tires to produce carbon black as a material for new tires. This will be the world’s first practical use of ...

News  Updated at: 2025/01/31

Sumitomo Rubber acquires DUNLOP trademark from Goodyear Sumitomo Rubber Industries, Ltd. (Sumitomo Rubber) announced that it has signed a purchase agreement to acquire the DUNLOP trademark and other rights for four-wheel tires in Europe, North America and Oceania from The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company (Goodyear). The acquisition price is USD 526 million. With the acquisition of this trademark right, except for certain regions and products, Sumit...

News  Updated at: 2025/01/15

Falken Tyres provides e. ZIEX AO tires for Audi Q6 e-tron Falken Tyres Europe GmbH, a subsidiary of Sumitomo Rubber Industries, announced that it is providing its e. ZIEX AO model for AUDI Q6 e-tron, which is produced at Ingolstadt facility. These tires are designed to meet the requirements of electric and hybrid vehicles, offering low rolling resistance, optimal traction, and the capacity to handle heavy loads. The e. ZIEX is one of the most ene...

News  Updated at: 2025/01/13

Sumitomo Rubber installs cooling system at winter tire development facility, doubling development time Sumitomo Rubber Industries, Ltd. (Sumitomo Rubber) announced that it has installed a cooling system at its Nayoro indoor ICE field (NICE), which is located at its winter tire development facility, the Nayoro Tire Test Course, in Nayoro, Hokkaido. As a result, the main development period, which was previously two months (January to February) to b...

News  Updated at: 2024/12/24

Sumitomo Rubber’s Shirakawa Factory to introduce MES in second half of 2025 Sumitomo Rubber Industries, Ltd. (Sumitomo Rubber) announced that it will introduce a manufacturing execution system (MES) at its Shirakawa Factory (Shirakawa City, Fukushima Prefecture) to start operations in the second half of 2025. The company will establish environments where it is easy to share and utilize various manufacturing site data across the company to enhan...

News  Updated at: 2024/12/19