Pirelli honours top suppliers

This year’s Pirelli Supplier Day took place today at the tyre maker’s headquarters in Milan, with the company welcoming a selection of large, medium and small companies from 18 countries. The more than 70 strategic suppliers attending the event represent around 40 per cent of Pirelli’s annual global purchases, and Chief Procurement Officer Andrea Maganzani honoured five stand-out firms.

The five companies are:

Sustainability – Himile Mechanical Science and Technology (Shandong) Co. LTD, supplier of vulcanisation moulds.

Quality – Quechen Silicon Chemical Co., Ltd, silica supplier.

Innovation – VI-grade GmbH, virtual simulator supplier.

Performance – Abrasivi & Adesivi, supplier of adhesive bands.

Excellence Award – Indorama Ventures Mobility Cremona S.p.A, supplier of reinforced textiles.

“Our company always sets itself ambitious goals that would not be possible without the support of those who work alongside us,” comments Marco Tronchetti Provera, Pirelli’s Executive Vice Chairman. “Sharing our company values and targets with the entire supply chain allows us to constantly improve, particularly when it comes to sustainability and innovation which are key, strategic elements that underpin our global leadership in the high value segment and sustainability indices.”

Highlighting Open Innovation

The 2023 Supplier Day was also an opportunity to highlight Pirelli’s Open Innovation approach. This involves suppliers, universities and innovation hubs who continuously pioneer the development of new products, with an increasing emphasis on new bio-based and recycled materials as well as innovative nano polymers.

In particular, Pirelli shone a spotlight on the excellence and commitment off the entire supply chain and the role this plays in helping the tyre maker achieve its stated targets. Pirelli emphasises that thanks to innovation and research into renewable or recycled sources, sustainability was at the forefront in its 2025 target for carbon neutrality and the reduction of fossil-based materials.

The tyre maker additionally states that collaboration from the supply chain was “instrumental” in its launch of the Pirelli P Zero E this year, a tyre containing more than 55 per cent natural and recycled materials, as validated by Bureau Veritas. This product’s debut builds upon prior steps towards sustainability, such as its introduction of the world’s first FSC (Forest Stewardship Council) certified tyre in 2021.