The VISION Concept A compelling illustration of Michelin’s sustainable development model Innovation Strategy Michelin believes in putting innovation at the heart of its strategy. It is a major competitive asset that sets us apart from the competition and ensures our Group’s long-term success. Research & Development We believe that for mobility to have a future, it has to be increasingly safe, accessible, efficient and eco-friendly. Those four goals drive all our innovation on products and services, with over 350 areas of expertise already represented on our R&D teams. Open Innovation At Michelin, we believe that looking outside the group to access skills we don’t have in-house can be a positive and productive approach. That’s why we are developing an ambitious Open Innovation policy. Industrial innovation At Michelin, our employees are at the heart of our industrial innovation process. We rely on their expertise and practical knowledge in all our plants, because they are the only people who can express the needs that digital technology can meet. Innovation timeline 1891 Edouard Michelin developed and patented the first detachable tire with an inner tube for bicycles making punctures easy to repair. 1898 A star was born: the Michelin Man. 1900 The first MICHELIN guide was published. 35,000 copies were distributed. 1908 The Driver Information Office was launched. It provided road users with free, personalized driving directions. The office later became the Driving Directions Office. 1910 The first Michelin road map specially designed for motorists was published. It featured the famous "accordion" fold patented by Michelin. 1926 Michelin created a new collection of guides, each containing information and driving directions for exploring a particular region. The first guide featured Brittany. Originally with a red cover, the regional guides later developed into the famous collection of "Green Guides". 1929 To give passengers a more comfortable ride, Michelin came up with the idea of fitting tires on trains. The Group designed a tire that could run on rails, as well as a new type of light railway vehicle known as a "Micheline". The name soon caught on. 1930 Michelin filed a patent for a tire with a built-in inner tube, the forerunner of the tubeless tire. 1933 Michelin designed the very first snow tire: the MICHELIN N. It offered excellent road holding in winter conditions. 1946 Michelin’s extensive research resulted in an amazing technological breakthrough: a tire with a radial casing. It was not just new, it was also safer, more economical and longer lasting offering up to four times higher mileage than a conventional tire. Michelin filed the patent for this innovation on June 4. The first radial tire was released in 1949 under the name of MICHELIN X. it was gradually rolled out across all the different segments: Truck tires (1952), Earthmovers (1959), Winter XM+S (1964), Agricultural Bib X (1978), Aircraft Air X (1981) and Motorcycle (1987). 2001 ViaMichelin was set up to develop digital services for travel assistance. These free services give users all the useful information they need to prepare their trips. 2015 Michelin launched the MICHELIN CrossClimate tire, the first summer tire with winter certification thanks to a savvy mix of previously incompatible summer and winter tire technologies. 2017 Michelin showcased a revolutionary prototype of its Vision Concept at the Movin’On Sustainable Mobility Summit. This connected airless tire has a tread which can be recharged using a 3D printer. Michelin had invented the tire of the future. Uptis Michelin unveiled the UPTIS prototype (Unique Puncture Proof TIre System) at the Movin’On Sustainable Mobility Summit. This new generation of airless wheel technology for passenger vehicles eliminates the risk of flat tires and blowouts. A major advancement toward achieving Michelin’s VISION concept. Learn more 1891 1898 1900 1908 1910 1926 1929 1930 1933 1946 2001 2015 2017 2019 More News Press releases Group 07/17/2023 Michelin car tire containing 45% sustainable materials wins the AutomotiveINNOVATIONS Award 2023 in Frankfurt Group 06/27/2023 French and European first: La Poste [The French postal service] chooses Michelin to equip its delivery vehicles with MICHELIN Uptis puncture-proof tires Group 06/22/2023 Azul selects the PresSense connected tire from Safran and Michelin See all our press releases Key figures 0.5% Improvement in Michelin products energy efficiency in 2021 vs. 2020 Incoming events Publication of Annual Financial Results 2022 Mon, 13 Feb. 2023 Paris