Pirelli has been awarded the prestigious ADI International Compasso d’Oro Award, a top honor in industrial design established in 1954. The Pirelli P Zero E, with its groundbreaking technological features, is the first tire to win this award in the Design for Mobility category. This accolade was presented during a special 70th-anniversary edition of the Compasso d’Oro at Expo 2025 in Osaka, Japan.
The award this year was inspired by the Expo theme – Designing Future Society for our Lives – and Pirelli was recognized in the key area of Connecting Lives. This category emphasizes linking people through advanced products with reduced environmental impact. The P Zero E stands out as the first tire globally crafted with a high percentage of natural and recycled materials, specifically for high-performance use. It embodies a breakthrough in industrial design, sustainable innovation, and technology, marking a pivotal moment in the tire industry.
Launched in 2023, the Pirelli P Zero E is the first Ultra High Performance tire with over 55% bio-based and recycled materials, maintaining top performance and safety even on wet surfaces. It boasts a triple “Class A” rating for wet grip, rolling resistance, and noise on the European tire label. The tire enhances the efficiency of electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles, potentially boosting mileage by up to 10% thanks to Elect technology. It features advanced technologies like RunForward, enabling driving even after a puncture. This innovation is setting a new standard in future tire development and was named “Tyre of the Year” at the 2023 Automobile Club de France Awards.
P Zero E leads Pirelli’s innovations alongside Cyber Tyre: the first system combining hardware and software to gather and process data from tire sensors, opening up new vehicle functionalities and integration with smart road and city infrastructures.
Piero Misani, Pirelli’s Executive Vice President and Chief Technical Officer, remarked: “This award honors Pirelli’s excellence in design and the innovative scope of products like the P Zero E, underscoring the pivotal role of R&D in driving progress and sustainability. Our ongoing R&D efforts have positioned Pirelli as a leader in global technological innovation and pioneering solutions for future tire development, utilizing new materials with minimal environmental impact and integrating advanced AI in all stages.”
Pirelli’s legacy with the ADI Compasso d’Oro Award includes renowned advertising campaigns and iconic industrial design products, ranging from foam toys to electromechanical clocks and rubber flooring. Recent projects include the Pirelli Foundation’s ‘Rubber Soul’ exhibition, a Red Dot Design Award winner in 2013, and the ‘Publicity with a Capital P’ editorial project, nominated for the 2020 Award.
Alongside other winners, the P Zero E will be showcased in the Italian Pavilion, before joining the permanent collection at the ADI Design Museum in Milan. Reflecting the Expo theme – “Designing Future Society for Our Lives” – the P Zero E sets a modern standard for mobility, connecting people, and epitomizing sustainability and circularity with materials like lignin. Developed with AI-driven technologies, it involved all Pirelli R&D centers globally and featured collaborations with universities, specialized centers, and suppliers.
