Black Donuts and Nemus Featured in David Shaw’s April Report: Why Integration Is Becoming Critical

The April 2026 Global Tire Intelligence Report by David Shaw is out and it highlights a rapidly shifting industry landscape. Geopolitical tensions, raw material volatility, and increasing regulatory pressure are forcing tire manufacturers to rethink how they design, source, and produce. Within this context, Black Donuts and its Nemus business unit are featured among the companies addressing these challenges.

From the Tire Technology Expo in Hannover to the latest industry reports, one thing is becoming clear: the industry needs to move faster and work in a more integrated way.

The tire industry is under increasing pressure to reduce reliance on fossil-based materials while maintaining performance and scalability. One of the key challenges is finding a viable alternative to carbon black and silica systems without compromising production efficiency.

Briefly About Nemus
Nemus Materials™ is a premix of natural rubber (NR) and microfibrillated cellulose (MFC) — a renewable, biodegradable reinforcement designed to replace traditional fossil-based tire fillers. Developed by Black Donuts and validated through independent assessment, Nemus enables substantial CO₂ reduction at compound level while maintaining, and in specific metrics improving, tire performance. Nemus is designed primarily for tread compounds and can replace carbon black, silica, and portions of synthetic rubber.

In the standout section “Tiretech: Nemus replaces CB,” Shaw highlights Nemus as a high-performance functional filler designed to replace traditional carbon black (CB) and S-SBR/silica compounds with more naturally sourced materials.

Why the industry is talking about Nemus

Nemus is gaining attention not just for sustainability, but for measurable performance and integration advantages:

Negative Carbon Footprint: Nemus has a footprint of approximately -1.8kg $CO_2$ eq/kg (with biogenic carbon uptake), compared to around 2.6kg CO2eq/kg for furnace-grade carbon black, and the impact is undeniable.

The “Drop-In” Advantage: As explained by CTO Antti Laukkanen, Nemus is a liquid-mixed premix of nanocellulose and natural rubber that integrates into existing tread formulations without requiring major formulation or equipment changes.

Performance Without Trade-offs: Application studies on summer tires show improved rolling resistance and processability while maintaining grip and handling performance.

Price Competitive: In a volatile market, cost remains critical. As noted in the report: “Price-wise, it’s competitive as well. There are no trade-offs.”

A Nordic Technology Cluster

Beyond material innovation, Nemus is part of a broader vision to connect the wood pulp industry with tire manufacturing, creating a shorter and more resilient value chain. A large pilot project is already underway with a tire manufacturer, with approximately 100 tires currently in real-world testing. With the first factory planned in Finland, commercial-scale production is targeted by mid-2028.

As raw material research becomes more complex, the traditional multi-supplier model is increasingly under pressure. Can tire manufacturers innovate at speed without a more integrated, end-to-end approach?

The path forward is no longer about isolated innovations, but about how effectively materials, design, and production can be integrated into a single, scalable solution.

Full article: Page 1, Page 2

Interested in the full Nemus data? Contact our team to discuss how these innovations can be integrated into your next project.

Technical Contacts

Dr. Antti Laukkanen
CTO, Nemus Business Unit
+358 50 409 3497
+358 40 750 6060
antti.laukkanen@blackdonuts.com

Ilkka Lehtoranta
Head of Tire and Material Development, Black Donuts
ilkka.lehtoranta@blackdonuts.com

To read David Shaw’s full report for a deeper analysis of these industry shifts, please click here: Tire Industry Research