Finland’s Nokian Tyres says it will lead the country’s Futureproof R&D programme to confront the key challenges of future mobility through solutions related to for example the digitalisation of tyres and traffic, sustainable product lifecycle and advanced manufacturing technologies.
The five-year-long program’s mission is futureproofing resilient European on/off-road mobility by crosslinking industries to join the common cause. The program is funded with EUR20 million by Business Finland, Finland’s official organisation for innovation funding and trade, investment and travel promotion. Business Finland also funds the ecosystem with EUR50 million. The programme is aiming to involve over 100 partners.
The expenditure on the R&D work of Nokian Tyres and the ecosystem combined is estimated to increase significantly during the programme. Plus, it is also estimated to create hundreds of new jobs in Finland by 2034.
The Futureproof consists of four main themes: Future Mobility and Business, Sustainable Tyre Lifecycle, Digital Foundation and Advanced Manufacturing.
Every theme has specific objectives guiding the joint development with ecosystem partners. The themes aim to tackle issues such as improving the safety and sustainability of Finnish and European mobility, reducing emissions throughout the entire supply chain, developing advanced driving solutions and accelerating the implementation of Industry 5.0.