Pirelli Highlights Focus on Safety with New R&D Agreement

Pirelli has highlighted its focus on safety by signing a new R&D competitiveness agreement with the local government. As part of this agreement, the company is part of a two-year project to develop a completely new generation of tires that showcase “total safety”. Named Total Safety System, the project involves an investment of 5.35 million Euros in the project, and will be carried out at the company’s R&D facility which is headquartered in Milan. The Lombardy regional government is supporting the project with a grant to the tune of 1.9 million Euros. The agreement between the government and Pirelli was finalized through the signing of the competitiveness agreement on 9 February.

The research carried out under the project will cover all phases of product planning and design, ranging from the raw materials used to the technology for inspection of the finished goods and the implementation of new application safety systems that utilize tire sensors. Pirelli is expecting that the innovations made as part of the project will provide the company with additional know-how for various technologies and improve the efficiency, productivity and quality levels at the factory.

As part of the project, the R&D team will investigate the use of new product mixes that are suitable for higher value-added segments and are more aligned to market needs. Thus the project will make the company more competitive and will also contribute to higher fuel economy levels, better tire mileage and better road safety.

The Lombardy government is contributing to the project as part of its drive to increase the value of human capital through training as well as production, environmental and infrastructure resources. The project is expected to develop the skills of the current workforce and create additional jobs at Pirelli as well as throughout the entire supply chain.

“The competitiveness agreement with Pirelli demonstrates how the synergies between the public and private sectors bring concrete results here in Lombardy,” commented Roberto Maroni, president of the Lombardy regional government. “Our goal is to raise investment in research and innovation up to three per cent of the region’s GDP, a figure that is now close to two per cent. These are two strategic areas that represent a natural vocation for our region as well as a great opportunity for growth.”

Marco Tronchetti Provera, executive vice-chairman and CEO of Pirelli, added that the center in Milan is the hub of Pirelli’s efforts in research and development, thus fostering the company’s competitiveness and helping it to grow on the global scene. He added that the contribution of the regional government highlights the importance of the work done at the center so far and will facilitate a project that aims to create safer and more environmentally friendly tires which also offer clients high performance.