You will be giving a keynote presentation at rCB Europe and we're really looking forward to hearing more about your collaboration. Can you give us some details about what your presentation will cover?
We are seeing a profound transformation across established industries, driven by regulatory agendas, entrepreneurial innovation and new technologies. For the tire industry, this is particularly relevant: with safety at the core of what we do, innovation needs to go hand in hand with reliability and industrial scalability.
In our keynote, we will explore what role in the tire industry wants to play in this transformation: Are we suppliers of end-of-use tires, customers for recovered carbon black or will our role be shaped by the transformation of the oil and chemical industries?
A provocative question, perhaps, but an important one to ask.
What do you think the biggest challenges are that still need to be overcome when moving rCB from successful trails and validation to consistent use at industrial scale?
The key challenge is moving from successful individual trails to a reliable industrial ecosystem. This requires consistent material quality, dependable supply chains, common industry standards and the right regulatory framework to enable economies of scale. There is still work to do, but I have no doubt that we are on the right path. I am looking forward to discussing these challenges at the conference.
How important is collaboration between rCB producers and tyre manufacturers during the validation and scale-up process and what does successful collaboration look like in practice?
Collaboration is absolutely essential. The tyre industry is a safety-driven industry with very high standards for quality, performance and reliability. At the same time, Pyrum brings a start-up mentality to our collaboration, embodied by our partner Pascal Klein, a great entrepreneur.
And here, trust is key to bringing these strengths together. We are working closely together to create an ecosystem that enables innovation while meeting the high standards required by our industry. We see this as a shared journey. Pyrum's success is also our success. And that is why we welcome seeing the rCB market grow, including when other tyre manufacturers become Pyrum customers. Scaling sustainable solutions requires an entire industry and strong partnerships across the value chain.
Looking ahead, what needs to happen for rCB to move beyond individual projects and become a more widely adopted raw material within the tyre industry?
The potential of tyre pyrolysis is clear. Now we need to scale it. For rCB, this means developing grades that meet the high performance and quality requirements of the tyre industry, while ensuring consistent quality and reliable supply at scale.
At the same time, we need to develop additional sources for rCB beyond tyres. Broader demand will help create the scale and economies needed for a viable pyrolysis ecosystem.
This is not about competition. It is about building a functioning circular value chain together, with the ambition to bring recovered carbon from end-of-life tyres back into new tyres or even other products wherever technically possible.
Finally, what are you most looking forward to about joining the rCB community at the event this year?
These events provide a great opportunity to learn from each other, better understand the challenges and strengthen collaboration across the industry. I am excited to be part of this event.
