SAN ANTONIO—There are a myriad of reasons the tire industry needs to move toward greater sustainability and full circularity.
But for Olivier Brauen, there are two that stand well above the rest.
One is 8. The other, 2.
And both of his daughters—even at their young ages—are inspiring him to think more deeply and more critically about the tremendous challenges the tire industry faces as it works to tackle climate change, achieve sustainability and push for circularity.
"The 8-year-old is asking questions already," Brauen, Michelin North America Inc. vice president of circularity business solutions, said during the first day of the 2023 Smithers Traction Summit. "So we have to make an impact."
The kind of impact that no one person or company can make on its own. Because the challenges are too great, the demands too high.
"We feel like we have to do way more, all together, as an industry," Brauen said. "And it is a symmetry of what we see on the market, even in North America. We see clear shifts, clear inflection points."
Consumers, he said, are demanding more from Michelin and the industry overall. They are putting pressure on tire makers to provide more sustainable products—in material composition, performance and longevity.