Last year, Nokian Tyres launched the Fast Race, Big Change sustainable tire innovation challenge. The company said the purpose was to find new sustainable ideas and solutions from across the world and the industries to be put into production in future Nokian tires. The winner chosen among the four finalists will have the opportunity to collaborate with the Nokian Tyres R&D experts to craft their idea into reality and be part of Nokian Tyres’ sustainability story stretching across the decades.
Nokian Tyres said its team of tire experts went through applications carefully and chose four finalists to present their innovations at the finals event in Lapland. The finalists are Microwave Solutions GmbH from Switzerland with a solution for processing recycled materials; Universal Matter Inc. from Canada with an innovation for sustainable graphene; Reselo AB from Sweden with an innovation for bio-based rubber; and a simulation modeling expert from Italy with a solution for a more sustainable supply chain.
The finals event is held at Nokian Tyres’ test center White Hell, situated in Ivalo in Finnish Lapland. There, the finalists are offered the opportunity to pitch their idea to the panel of judges. From the back seat of an electric vehicle driven by a Nokian Tyres test driver and speeding on a frozen test track, they need to convince the jury of their innovation with a pitch live streamed to the panel.
Nokian said the winner of the Fast Race, Big Change will receive a monetary prize as well as the opportunity to explore a business or development partnership with Nokian Tyres.
