At Reselo, we believe that having an impact on the materials industry requires strong partnerships. And when tackling fossil-based rubbers – the tire-industry is the right industry to address. Tires make up ~70% of the rubber used globally.

Therefore, one of the most exciting collaborations on our journey has been with the Finnish tyre manufacturer Nokian Tyres, known for their commitment to safe, high-performing tires and effort to work sustainably. 

Sharing the vision that sustainability improvements and performance enhancements can go hand in hand, this partnership is a natural fit for us.

Initially, after screening different rubber industries, we doubted whether it would make sense for us to interact with the tire industry. The enormous size of the industry, and even more so their mostly conservative thinking, led to the conclusion that we, as a small, innovative company with little resources would not be a good fit for them.

But then we met Nokian Tyres. Invited to compete in their 2023 “FAST RACE, BIG CHANGE” innovation challenge, we experienced a very different approach where sustainability and innovation were valued as core parts of their long-term business strategy. This changed our minds, and we were honored when our birch-bark-based material was selected as the winning entry.

After winning this competition we engaged into a project with Nokian Tyres to evaluate the potential of our material for tire applications. The positive test results and the innovation-centred mindset driving our collaboration on both sides motivated us formalize our relationship through a multi-year, joint development project in 2024.