The world's fastest finals

Four amazing solutions.
One winner.
Let the fast race begin.

We launched the FAST RACE, BIG CHANGE sustainable tire innovation challenge to find new sustainable ideas and solutions from across the world and the industries to be put into production in future Nokian Tyres premium tires. The challenge was open for all businesses, students and researchers, and gathered a great deal of interest globally with entries from 18 different countries.

The FAST RACE, BIG CHANGE challenge will culminate with a nail-biting finals event held in Nokian Tyres’ legendary winter tire testing center White Hell in Ivalo, Finnish Lapland. The winner chosen among the four finalists will have the once in a lifetime 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.

the finalists

The Nokian Tyres’ team of tire experts went through every application 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 modelling expert from Italy with a solution for a more sustainable supply chain.  

the world's fastest pitch

 

The finals event is held at Nokian Tyres’ test center White Hell, situated in Ivalo in Finnish Lapland, some 300 km above the Arctic Circle. There the finalists are offered the unique opportunity to pitch their idea for an expert 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. During one lap, they need to convince the jury of their innovation with a pitch live streamed to the panel. After the speedy pitching session in the car, the finalists face a grand jury consisting of a selected group of industry influencers and innovators both from Nokian Tyres as well as outside the company.

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. 

solutions FOR a better future by nokian tyres

WE WERE THE FIRST TIRE COMPANY TO HAVE SCIENCE BASED TARGETS FOR REDUCING CO2 EMISSIONS.

VIGOROUS TESTING FOR THE SAFEST TIRES AT OUR TESTING CENTERS in lapland and in spain.

new FACTORY built IN ROMANIA THE FIRST ZERO CO2 EMISSION FACTORY IN THE TIRE INDUSTRY.

Nokian Tyres Green Step is the most sustainable tire we have ever created

The Nokian Tyres Green Step concept tire is a testament to our ambition of making driving more sustainable: 93% of the materials used in the tire are recycled or renewable.

We only used natural rubber, and mostly renewable oils, plasticizer, resin and processing aids. In addition, renewable materials such as natural rice husk ash silica and cellulose fiber can be found in the tire. Almost every component of the Green Step also includes some recycled materials, from carbon black derived from end-of-life tires to the butyl used in the inner surface as well as the steel in the steel belts and bead wires in the structure. The Green Step concept tire is a result of decades of innovation and accumulated expertise on sustainable tire design.

our new testing center in spain uses sustainable solutions

Opened in 2021, the Nokian Tyres Spain Test Center, also known as Hakka Ring, provides state-of-the-art technology and sustainability. The 300-hectare area with its 10 test tracks is used to test our future summer, all-season and winter tires in the hot conditions of Southern Europe.  

More than 1 150 solar panels power up the test center. During daytime, the power generated by the solar panel field is sufficient to cover all energy needed for regular testing activities. To preserve energy, we have also installed white roofs and white roof shades for parked vehicles. The wet test tracks are irrigated using a flooding irrigation method, which consumes significantly less water than a sprinkler system. The water that does not get evaporated is recovered. In total, we are able to recover over 80% of the water and channel it back to circulation.

When the center was built, less than ten oak trees were cut from the area. We are also planted 60 new ones to replace these in addition to 302 olive trees. Almond trees growing in the area were saved and protected. We also acquired 25 hectares of land near the center, preserved it and built a robust nesting tower for local birdlife.

want to know more?
you can Read more about our sustainability work in our extensive sustainability report.

Go to the sustainability report