Malaysia’s natural rubber (NR) production increased 11.4% to 29,673 tonnes in October 2025 from 26,647 tonnes in September, according to the Department of Statistics Malaysia (DOSM). The agency said the rise was largely driven by the smallholders sector, which contributed…
Tag: rubber
Kumho to set up European plant in Poland; US$590 plus mn investment
Moving forward in its expansion plans, South Korea’s Kumho Tire says it will set up its first European manufacturing plant in Poland’s Opole region. It added the US$590 million factory is scheduled to begin initial operations in 2028, subject to…
Tyres: Space’s the limit for rubber tyres
Innovative rubber tyres are entering the era of space missions: as a catalyst to advancing science and mobility technology on Earth and beyond, says Angelica Buan in this article. Rubber tyre’s cosmic journey Space exploration is making history with landmark…
Medical: Flexible artificial muscles from liquid crystal elastomers
In Canada, an international team led by researchers at the University of Waterloo and other UK unversities has developed new material that can be used as flexible “artificial muscles” to replace rigid motors and pumps in robots and allow them…
Prometeon to invest US$400 mn in expansion of Egyptian tyre plant
China’s Prometeon Tyre Manufacturing, a subsidiary of China National Tyre and Rubber Co., Ltd., plans to invest US$400 million to expand its operations in Egypt, producing 1.5 million additional tyres and upgrading its existing factory. A meeting was recently held with…
Wacker to slash 1,500 jobs by 2027; savings of EUR300 mn/year
In view of what it says is a “tense” business situation, German silicones firm Wacker Chemie is to make significant cost savings in its production environment and administration set-up, through job cuts mainly in Germany. Wacker posted a net loss of…
Nokian to lay off staff at Finland tyre plant
Finnish tyre manufacturer Nokian Tyres has announced plans to cut nearly 700 roles as part of a wider cost and efficiency programme. The company said it will permanently reduce 35 white-collar positions in its home market and temporarily lay off…
TyreXpo Asia 2026 returns to Bangkok; to debut AutoMROtive exhibition
The 15th edition of TyreXpo Asia Bangkok will take place from 13 – 15 May 2026 in Bangkok, Thailand. This highly anticipated edition not only marks the return of TyreXpo Asia to Bangkok but also introduces AutoMROtive, a trade exhibition…
NASA researchers work on space-bound technology for tyres
US space agency NASA might soon change the way we drive on planet Earth. At its Glenn Research Centre in Cleveland, Ohio, engineers have developed a groundbreaking wheel technology designed for tackling extreme conditions on the Moon and Mars. Now,…
Arlanxeo to close loss-making rubber plant in France
Citing reasons of weak demand, Netherland-based synthetic rubber producer Arlanxeo Holding has announced that it intends to permanently close its plant at Port Jerome, France, where it produces polybutadiene rubber (PBR) and styrene butadiene rubber (SBR). According to Arlanxeo CEO…