And the Tire Expo winners were...

Cologne, Germany -- The first annual awards for the tyre industry saw Michelin, Bridgestone, Herbert, the Leibnitz University of Hannover and recycling company Global Resources, honoured by a team of judges.

The first ever award at the Tire Technology Expo award ceremony was presented to Leibnitz University in the category of Innovation of the year recognising the University's virtual prototyping system. Other finalists in this category included Cimcorp for the rick-rack palleting system; and Konstrukta's spiral drum cooling system.

In the award for environmental achievement, the judges regarded REACH legislation system as less significant than a scrap tyre processing system developed by US company, Global Resources Corp. Global Resources won the award, while the other finalists were the REACH system; a double-chamber tyre curing system by TS Plzen and a steam co-generation project by Apollo  Tyres.

The best tyre technology of the year award went to Michelin for its energy saver technology. Other finalists included Sumitomo's Enasave project to make a tyre with minimum fossil fuel content; Yokohama's nano-filled materials and Bridgestone's cooling fin technology.

In the tyre industry supplier of the year, Herbert Maschinen- und Anlagenbau won the award for its 52-inch double curing press. Other finalists included ExxonMobil's innerliner technology based on its Exxpro material; MicroPoise's laser scanner and a low-speed uniformity machine from ZF.

The final category of tyre company of the year went to Bridgestone, ahead of Michelin, Kumho and Apollo Tyres.

The judging panel comprised Dennis Carlson; Guy Edington; Jane Clark; Vince Coveney; Joe Walter; Roger Williams; Marion Pottinger; John Bullas; Walter Reithmaier; Pim van der Jagt; Guy Mannino; Oluremi Olatunboson; Damian Harty, Graham Heeps and Adam Gavine.