Michelin and four academic partners have inaugurated a joint research laboratory in Clermont-Ferrand, France, dedicated to tire technology, manufacturing improvements and new uses 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). The project, announced on 4 November, represents a total investment of about €4.5 million over four years.
The initiative is intended to strengthen collaboration between academic research and industrial applications by combining data analysis, mathematical modeling and experimentation. Michelin will contribute expertise in tire simulation, materials, industrial processes and product-use data, while the academic partners will provide theoretical and methodological expertise to develop and validate new approaches. The partners also expect the laboratory to support training for young researchers working across fundamental research, experimentation and industrial applications.
I-TireLab will focus on four research areas:
- Tire monitoring: Researchers will work on real-time estimates of tire wear and grip using data from existing onboard vehicle sensors. The aim is to assess tire condition without requiring additional specialized equipment.
- Vehicle control: Teams plan to study how tire condition and grip information can be incorporated into vehicle control systems, with the objective of optimizing braking performance and improving vehicle stability and efficiency.
- Rubber manufacturing: Researchers 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 consumption.
- Flexible materials: The fourth area will examine how flexible materials can influence air and water flows around objects. Researchers are developing control methods that can change the shape of components to modify surrounding flows.
Researchers will gain access to industrial facilities, demonstrators and testing environments to evaluate their methods under near-real-world conditions. Findings could eventually contribute to future Michelin 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 additional sensors. It 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. Its 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. 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.