Michelin and four academic partners have inaugurated I-TireLab, a joint research laboratory in France focused on tire technology, manufacturing processes and applications for flexible composites. The partners are 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 approximately €4.5 million over four years. Announced on Nov. 4, it is intended to strengthen collaboration between academic research and industrial applications by combining data analysis, mathematical modeling and experimentation.
Four research areas
The laboratory will pursue four main research tracks. One priority is developing real-time estimates of tire wear and grip using data from existing onboard vehicle sensors, allowing tire condition to be assessed without additional specialized equipment.
A second track will examine how tire condition and grip information can be incorporated into vehicle control systems. The stated objective is to optimize braking performance and improve vehicle stability and efficiency.
Rubber manufacturing is the third focus. Teams plan to develop simulation and control tools that help manufacturers plan equipment operations and optimize production settings while maintaining consistent rubber quality and reducing raw-material waste and energy consumption.
The fourth area will study 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 the surrounding flows.
Testing and planned applications
I-TireLab will give researchers access to industrial facilities, demonstrators and testing environments so they can evaluate methods under near-real-world conditions. Findings could eventually contribute to future Michelin innovation projects.
One planned application is 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, 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; according to Michelin, its first sail is in the delivery phase.
Roles, training and continuity
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.
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 the training of 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 research teams and establishes a longer-term framework for converting data into knowledge and practical solutions.