#56 – Michelin: A Better Way Forward

“We care about giving people a better way forward”

— by Michelin, the French mobility company founded in 1889 by brothers André and Édouard Michelin in Clermont-Ferrand, France.

Few companies can claim to have shaped an entire industry while simultaneously influencing how people experience travel itself. Michelin did both.

Originally established as a rubber manufacturer, Michelin became a pioneer of modern mobility through innovations that transformed transportation, from removable pneumatic tires to high-performance solutions for cars, trucks, aircraft, bicycles, and industrial applications.

The company also created one of the most influential cultural assets in travel history: the Michelin Guide, first published in 1900 to encourage motorists to travel farther and wear out more tires.

Today, Michelin operates in more than 170 countries, employs over 130,000 people, and generates annual revenues exceeding €28 billion.

Its activities extend far beyond tires into advanced materials, hydrogen technologies, connected mobility solutions, and sustainable manufacturing.

Its purpose reflects a broader interpretation of mobility. Not simply movement from one place to another, but safer, cleaner, more efficient ways of enabling human activity.

This perspective has become increasingly relevant as transportation faces growing pressure to reduce emissions, improve resource efficiency, and support the transition to more sustainable forms of mobility.

Michelin has committed significant investments to circular materials, renewable and recycled inputs, and technologies aimed at reducing the environmental footprint of transportation systems.

What makes this purpose interesting is its focus on the word forward.

• Forward can mean technological progress.

• Forward can mean economic opportunity.

• Forward can mean reducing harm while maintaining freedom of movement.

For a company whose history has been built on helping people travel farther, the challenge today is different: ensuring that progress itself remains sustainable enough to continue the journey.