Michelin has inaugurated a joint research laboratory with four academic partners to advance tire technology, improve manufacturing and explore new uses for flexible composites. The I-TireLab project brings together the University of Poitiers, Grenoble Alpes University, Grenoble INP – UGA and the French National Centre for Scientific Research (CNRS).
Announced Nov. 4, the project represents a total investment of about €4.5 million over four years. The laboratory is intended to strengthen ties between academic research and industrial application by combining data analysis, mathematical modeling and experimentation.
Research priorities
Work will be organized around four areas. One priority is to develop real-time estimates of tire wear and grip using data already available from onboard vehicle sensors. The aim is to assess tire condition without adding specialized equipment.
A second area will examine how tire condition and grip information can be fed into vehicle control systems. Researchers aim to optimize braking performance and improve stability and efficiency.
A third area focuses on rubber manufacturing. Teams are developing simulation and control tools to help manufacturers plan equipment operations and optimize production settings while keeping rubber quality consistent and reducing raw-material waste and energy use.
The fourth area will study how flexible materials affect air and water flows around objects. Researchers are developing control methods that can change the shape of components to alter those flows.
Testing and applications
I-TireLab will give researchers access to industrial facilities, demonstrators and test environments so methods can be evaluated under near-real-world conditions. Findings could eventually feed into future Michelin innovation projects, according to the company.
One planned application involves Michelin Touch Intelligence, a tire digital twin introduced in May 2026. The technology combines vehicle sensor data with Michelin models to estimate tire pressure, wear, load and grip in real time without extra sensors, and is designed to work across vehicle brands and models.
Research into flexible composites could also support Wisamo, Michelin's inflatable and retractable automated wingsail for ships. The system uses wind to supplement vessel propulsion and cut fuel consumption; its first sail is in the delivery phase, the company said.
Roles and collaboration
Philippe Jacquin, Michelin's general manager and director of research and development, said the partnership would help turn scientific research into practical innovations in 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 know-how to develop and validate new approaches. The collaboration will also support training for 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 project builds on existing collaboration between Michelin and the academic research teams and creates a longer-term framework for converting data into knowledge and practical solutions.