Michelin has inaugurated a joint tire research laboratory with four academic partners, creating a four-year program designed to connect fundamental research with industrial applications in tire technology, manufacturing and flexible composites.
The partnership, called I-TireLab, 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. It was announced on Nov. 4.
Four research priorities
The laboratory will combine data analysis, mathematical modeling and experimentation. Its work is organized around four areas: monitoring tire condition, improving vehicle control systems, optimizing rubber manufacturing and exploring new uses for flexible materials.
One priority is to estimate tire wear and grip in real time using data already available from onboard vehicle sensors. The partners aim to assess tire condition without adding specialized equipment. A related line of work will examine how that tire-condition and grip information can be fed into vehicle control systems to improve braking performance, stability and efficiency.
In rubber manufacturing, teams plan to develop simulation and control tools that help manufacturers plan equipment operations and optimize production settings. The goals include maintaining consistent rubber quality while reducing raw-material waste and energy consumption.
The fourth area will study how flexible materials affect air and water flows around objects. Researchers intend to develop control methods that change the shape of components to modify the surrounding flow.
Testing and applications
I-TireLab will give researchers access to industrial facilities, demonstrators and testing environments so they can evaluate methods under conditions close to real-world use. The partners said findings could eventually feed into future Michelin innovation projects.
One planned application is Michelin Touch Intelligence, a tire digital twin introduced by the company in May 2026. The system combines vehicle sensor data with Michelin models to estimate tire pressure, wear, load and grip in real time without additional sensors, and is designed to work across vehicle brands and models.
The laboratory’s work on 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. Michelin said the first sail is in the delivery phase.
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 in 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 teams and establishes a longer-term framework for turning data into knowledge and practical solutions, according to the partners.