As tire companies navigate increasing performance expectations, complex material formulations, electrified mobility and growing sustainability pressures, the need for coordinated innovation and collaboration has never been greater. The Polymer Industry Cluster, a sustainable polymer tech hub based in Akron, Ohio, offers a new model: a collaborative, industry-driven ecosystem designed to accelerate R&D, and support scale-up commercialization, pre-competitive and post-competitive collaboration and workforce readiness across the polymer and elastomer value chain. This presentation reviews the region’s historical leadership in tire and rubber science, details the cluster’s strategic pillars and highlights the impact of US$100m in federal and state investments. Audience members will gain clarity on how the cluster is directly supporting tire-sector priorities, such as alternative feedstock and processing, next-generation elastomeric materials, improved prototyping and scale-up capabilities, recycling and circularity, and digital transformation of R&D in material innovation. The talk will conclude with opportunities for companies to participate, shape and benefit from this growing innovation engine and ecosystem.

• Tire companies face increasing pressures: higher performance demands, complex formulations, electrification requirements and sustainability expectations
• The Polymer Industry Cluster (sustainable polymer tech hub in Akron, Ohio) provides a coordinated, industry-driven model for innovation and collaboration
• Focus areas include accelerating R&D through collaboration with universities, industry partners and startups, supporting scale-up and commercialization, enabling pre-competitive and post-competitive collaboration, and strengthening workforce readiness
• The presentation highlights Akron’s historic leadership in tire and rubber science, the cluster’s strategic pillars, and the impact of US$100m in federal and state investments to grow the innovation ecosystem
• Direct benefits to the tire sector include projects and focus on alternative feedstocks and processing technologies, next-generation elastomeric materials, enhanced prototyping and scale-up capabilities, recycling and circularity solutions, and digital tr