Goodyear begins phase 2 of LIST partnership

The Luxembourg Institute of Science and Technology (LIST) and The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company have commenced a second phase of their strategic collaboration. Goodyear says this next step in the two parties’ joint work will not only leverage previous achievements but will also “delve into new technological avenues.”

Since 2017, LIST and Goodyear have worked together in the areas of materials research, structure-property relationship understanding, and data science. According to Goodyear, their joint efforts have “positioned Luxembourg as a hub for disruptive innovation in mobility,” particularly in the tyre and tyre-related technology sectors.

New application domain

The two entities sealed the agreement for a second phase of their partnership at last year’s LIST Tech Day. Phase two will capitalise on Goodyear’s and LIST’s expertise, infrastructure, and competencies to “drive innovation and technology to a new application domain.”

The new contract encompasses strategic programmes comprising more than 30 projects. Spanning six years, this new contract places significant emphasis on efforts focusing on sustainability and digitalisation within the tyre industry. In terms of sustainability, the focus will be on tyre products developed with bio-based and recyclable materials. As for digitalisation, the spotlight will be on data science and its application for accelerating sensor prototyping timeline and efficacy. A further focus for the partnership will be the development of sensors capable of monitoring tyre wear in real time, the aim being to enhance safety and facilitate maintenance procedures. Additionally, the partners will dedicate their efforts to R&D in energy harvesting and storage for wireless sensors, ensuring their durability and efficiency over time.

Supported by Luxembourg’s Ministry of Economy and the Industrial Partnership Block Grants (IPBG) initiative of the Luxembourg National Research Fund (FNR), this second phase of the partnership is expected to kick off by the end of April.

Strategic research programmes

Data Science for Tire Applications – At the forefront of the digital transition, this programme aims to fit within Goodyear’s “first time right” development objective. Data Program will help Goodyear engineers develop, test and validate tyre models early in the development cycle, with the goal of identifying the best performing tyres before building a first prototype.

Tire Sensor Technology – This programme will help develop materials-based sensing technology to aid Goodyear in embedding sensors for continuous tyre monitoring
End-of-Life Tires – This programme targets the exploration and potential development of new materials and processing technology to help improve the reuse of end-of-life tyres
Sustainable Materials – Material development programmes are designed to investigate new raw materials that could be used in all kinds of tyre architectures
Structure-Process-Property Relationships – This programme will deliver new tools to better understand complex correlations of characterisation results and material performance.

Additionally, LIST and Goodyear have already identified several potential fields of interest for future collaboration.

Dedicated to smarter & more sustainable tyres

“The ongoing and strengthened strategic collaboration with a global and multinational company such as Goodyear is a testament to the high quality of research conducted here at LIST,” says Damien Lenoble, director of the materials department at LIST. “We are honoured and pleased that Goodyear expanded our trusted partnership. Together, we are dedicated to developing tyres that are not only better performing and smarter but also more sustainable for both users and the planet. I wish to congratulate all the teams at Goodyear and LIST who have diligently nurtured and developed this research and innovation programme over the past year and beyond.”

“I am thrilled to see this second phase of the partnership come to life,” adds Romain Hansen, vice president, EMEA Product Development at Goodyear. “Working with influential organisations like LIST is essential to Goodyear achieving its commitment to enable mobility today and tomorrow.”