Searching for the Green Tyre

This workshop is organised at the end of the EU financed LIFE project: "NORUBTREET_4_LIFE – NOvel RUBber mixes for Tyres with a REducedEnvironmental and Toxicological impact, for a better LIFE", and intends to create the right context for an open discussion of the Project results and their impact on tyre industry.

The project is focused on the design and production of novel rubber mixes for tyres, compliant with the limits on the Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbon (PAH) content established by a recently issued EU regulation on this matter. This target has been achieved! In this regard, the project activities have contributed to a worldwide effort aiming at developing "greener" materials, as concerns their production stage, usage and end of life management.

During the workshop, international experts will deliver seminal lectures on the main research areas of the project, including new materials, environmental and health impact, and results exploitation.

Program

10 September 2026

9:30-10:00 Registration

10:00-10:30 Opening and introduction to the Workshop – Stefano Gialanella (University of Trento, IT)

10:30-12:30 First session: New materials

• 10:30-11:00 Invited lecture: Virna Formaggio (Prometeon Tyre Group, IT) – Roadmap to sustainable tyres - Green is how we roll!
   
• 11:00-11:20 Davide Carlevaris (University of Trento, IT) – Natural ingredients for brake pads material
   
• 11:20-11:40 Victor Schop (University of Groningen, NL) – Natural carbon black in tyre mixes (online)
   
• 11:40-12:00 Luca Fambri (University of Trento, IT) – Characterization protocols for rubber mixes in tyre industry
   
• 12:00-12:30 General discussion

12:30-14:00 Lunch

14:00-16:10 Second session: Emission and toxicological characterization

• 14:00-14:30 Invited lecture: Flemming Cassee (National Institute for Public Health and the Environment - RIVM, Bilthoven, The Netherlands) – Tyre wear: an emerging health risk factor?
   
• 14:30-15:00 Ulf Olofsson (KTH Royal Institute of Technology, SE) – Beyond PM10 emissions: ultrafine particles, secondary particle formation, VOCs, black carbon and toxicology scoring of brake emissions
   
• 15:00-15:30 Invited lecture: Maurizio Gualtieri (University of Milan-Bicocca, IT) – Air liquid interface exposure systems for hazard evaluation of airborne contaminants: possibility and future challenges
   
• 15:30-15:50 Athanasia Christou (KTH Royal Institute of Technology, SE)  – Laboratory-scale particle emission and wear testing of retreaded tyre materials
   
• 15:50-16:10 Gloria Melzi (University of Milan, IT)  – Toxicological insights on tyre‑derived particles

16:10-16:40 Coffee break

16:40-18:00 Third session: Sustainability and exploitation

• 16:40-17:10 Barouch Giechaskiel (Joint Research Center, EU) – Euro 7 legislation and JRC activities on tyre emissions (online)
   
• 17:10-17:30 Paraskevi Karka (University of Groningen, NL) – Measuring Circularity in Process Industry
   
• 17:30-17:50 Francesco Valentini (University of Trento, IT) – Environmental impact of truck tyres and possible reduction strategies
   
• 17:50-18:00 Luca Fambri (University of Trento, IT) – Intro to the microplastics event (see below)

18:00-18:30 General discussion and concluding remarks

11 September 2026
Microplastics Demo Event

9:00-12:00 (approx.)

Venue: – Riva del Garda, Trento (Italy), along the shore of Garda Lake
Specific location to be updated

Dissemination event with real time analyses on environmental samples.
Open to all public, does not require registration.

Abstract submission for oral presentation

Participants are invited to submit an abstract for oral presentations using the online registration form by 21 August 2026. Selected participants will be invited to give a 15-minute oral presentation.

Topics: New materials; environmental and health impacts of new materials; emission studies and toxicological characterization; sustainability and exploitation of new materials.

Registration and fees

Participation in the workshop, either online or on-site, is free of charge, but registration via the online registration form is mandatory by 21 August 2026.

On-site participation is limited to 40 participants.

Scientific Committee

• Emanuela Corsini (University of Milan, IT)
• Andrea Dorigato (University of Trento, IT)
• Giulia Fredi (University of Trento, IT)
• Stefano Gialanella (University of Trento, IT)
• Ulf Olofsson (KTH Royal Institute of Technology, SE)
• Francesco Picchioni (University of Groningen, NL)

Organizing Committee

• Emanuela Corsini (University of Milan, IT)
• Luca Fambri (University of Trento, IT)
• Giulia Fredi (University of Trento, IT)
• Stefano Gialanella (University of Trento, IT)
• Valeria Manara (University of Trento, IT)

Scientific contact: norubtreet4life.workshop@unitn.it

Co-funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or CINEA. Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.