Michelin and four academic partners have inaugurated a joint research laboratory in Clermont-Ferrand, France, aimed at advancing tire technology, improving manufacturing processes and developing new applications for flexible composites.
The I-TireLab partnership brings together Michelin, the University of Poitiers, Grenoble Alpes University, Grenoble INP – UGA and the French National Centre for Scientific Research (CNRS). Announced on Nov. 4, the project represents a total investment of approximately €4.5 million over four years.
Four research priorities
The laboratory will combine data analysis, mathematical modeling and experimentation, with the stated aim of strengthening collaboration between academic research and industrial application. Its work is organised around four areas:
- Tire condition monitoring: developing real-time estimates of tire wear and grip from data produced by sensors already fitted to vehicles, so that condition can be assessed without additional specialised equipment.
- Vehicle control: investigating how tire condition and grip information can be incorporated into vehicle control systems, with the objective of optimising braking performance and improving stability and efficiency.
- Rubber manufacturing: building simulation and control tools to help manufacturers plan equipment operations and optimise production settings while maintaining consistent rubber quality and reducing raw-material waste and energy consumption.
- Flexible materials: examining how flexible materials influence air and water flows around objects, and developing control methods that change the shape of components to modify the surrounding flows.
Industrial test beds and training
Researchers will be given access to Michelin's industrial facilities, demonstrators and testing environments so their methods can be evaluated under near-real-world conditions. The partners said findings could eventually contribute to future Michelin innovation projects, and the collaboration will also support training of young researchers working across fundamental research, experimentation and industrial applications.
Michelin is contributing expertise in tire simulation, materials, industrial processes and product-use data, while the academic partners supply theoretical and methodological expertise to develop and validate new approaches. The project builds on existing collaboration between the company and the academic teams, establishing a longer-term framework for converting data into knowledge and practical solutions.
Possible applications
One planned application is Michelin Touch Intelligence, a tire digital twin the company introduced 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 flexible-composites research could also support Wisamo, Michelin's inflatable and retractable automated wingsail for ships, which uses wind to supplement vessel propulsion and reduce fuel consumption. The first sail is currently in the delivery phase, according to the company.
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. 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.