Italian major Eni's subsidiary Versalis has signed an accord with Bridgestone EMIA to jointly develop a joint agreement for the research, production and supply of synthetic rubber with advanced properties, Eni said in a statement.
“This agreement combines our technological knowledge with that of Bridgestone, a world leader in this sector, to accelerate the development of grades and applications in tires improving their performance, starting from raw material," said Versalis chief executive Adriano Alfani.
"Beginning to explore supply chain synergies with an excellent partner will bring a new innovative lift in the sector and strengthen high-value technical and commercial collaboration," Alfani added.
Belgium-headquartered Bridgestone EMIA welcomed the accord under which The Research and Development divisions of the two organizations will work together to develop technologies and new elastomer grades, including Styrene Butadiene Rubber (SBR), for the production of high-performance tyres.
"We are pleased to strengthen our existing partnership with Versalis and believe that the technology we co-create will be a differentiator for our future products," said Emilio Tiberio, COO and CTO of BEMIA, a leader in advanced mobility solutions.
Versalis will leverage the expertise of its Research Center at Ravenna and Ferrara, while Bridgestone will use its Technical Center Europe near Rome, according to the statement.
The elastomers produced by Versalis are used in the premium, consumer market segment and are designed to ensure high performance in tyres including dry handling and wet grip. They also decrease abrasion, increasing tyres' lifespan, resulting in a more sustainable tyre that consumees fewer raw materials in the long-term.
