Nokian Renkaat unveils winter tyre that extends studs on ice after a decade of development

In March, Nokian Renkaat unveiled at its Nokia factory an adaptive stud winter tyre developed over more than ten years. The rubber compound stiffens in cold and softens when warm, so studs extend on ice and retract on dry tarmac. YLE reported from the factory.

Inside the company's rarely opened research laboratory, development manager Mikko Liukkula called the technology a breakthrough and materials lead Noora Kemppainen demonstrated how the new compound behaves at low and high temperatures. The team calls the key mix an "adaptive base" — cold it hardens and forces studs out for grip on ice; warm it softens so studs retract. Traficom has granted type approval. The tyres, tested for millions of kilometres on taxis, company test tracks and road convoys, are going into production for retail this autumn.

Local and industry experts say the innovation could ease road wear problems and help a town long tied to tyre manufacturing. Nokian Renkaat employs about 800 people at the Nokia plant and some 1,700 in Finland overall. The firm sold its Russian factory in 2023 and opened a new plant in Romania. The company spends over €20 million a year on development and plans to keep product development based in Nokia while tackling material sustainability, electrification and tyre digitalisation challenges, development director Teemu Soini said.