Michelin and four academic partners have inaugurated a joint research laboratory in Clermont-Ferrand, France, focused on tire technology, manufacturing and flexible composites. The I-TireLab partnership brings together the tire maker, the University of Poitiers, Grenoble Alpes University, Grenoble INP – UGA and the French National Centre for Scientific Research (CNRS).
The project represents a total investment of about €4.5 million over four years. Announced Nov. 4, it is intended to strengthen collaboration between academic research and industrial applications by combining data analysis, mathematical modeling and experimentation.
Four research areas
I-TireLab will concentrate on four areas: monitoring tire conditions, improving vehicle control systems, optimizing rubber manufacturing and exploring new applications for flexible materials.
- Tire condition monitoring: Researchers plan to develop real-time estimates of tire wear and grip using data from existing onboard vehicle sensors. The aim is to assess tire condition without adding specialized equipment.
- Vehicle control: The team will study how tire condition and grip information can be incorporated into vehicle control systems to optimize braking performance and improve stability and efficiency.
- Rubber manufacturing: Teams are developing simulation and control tools to help manufacturers plan equipment operations and optimize production settings while maintaining consistent rubber quality and reducing raw-material waste and energy use.
- Flexible materials: The laboratory will examine how flexible materials can influence air and water flows around objects, and develop control methods that change component shapes to modify surrounding flows.
Industrial access and applications
Researchers will have access to industrial facilities, demonstrators and testing environments to evaluate methods under near-real-world conditions. Michelin said findings could eventually contribute to future innovation projects.
One planned application involves Michelin Touch Intelligence, a tire digital twin introduced by the company in May 2026. The technology combines vehicle sensor data with Michelin models to estimate tire pressure, wear, load and grip in real time without requiring additional sensors, and is designed to work across vehicle brands and models.
The laboratory's research into flexible composites could also support Wisamo, Michelin's inflatable and retractable automated wingsail for ships. The system uses wind to supplement vessel propulsion and reduce fuel consumption. Its first sail is currently in the delivery phase, according to Michelin.
Roles and training
Philippe Jacquin, Michelin's general manager and director of research and development, said the partnership would help translate scientific research into practical innovations involving tires, manufacturing and tire-vehicle interactions.
Michelin will contribute expertise in tire simulation, materials, industrial processes and product-use data. The academic partners will provide theoretical and methodological expertise to develop and validate new approaches. The collaboration will also support training for young researchers working across fundamental research, experimentation and industrial applications.
Guillaume Mercère, director of I-TireLab, and co-directors John Martinez-Molina and Thibault Dairay said the initiative would bring researchers, engineers and young scientists together to improve mobility safety, manufacturing processes and flexible-material applications.
The partnership builds on existing collaboration between Michelin and the academic research teams and establishes a longer-term framework for converting data into knowledge and practical solutions.