Pirelli has achieved a historic milestone by becoming the first tire manufacturer to win the prestigious ADI International Compasso d’Oro (Golden Compass) Award, one of the world’s most distinguished design honors since 1954. The award was granted to the Pirelli P Zero E in the Mobility Design category, recognizing its technological excellence and sustainable innovation. The ceremony took place during the special international edition of the Compasso d’Oro Awards, celebrating their 70th anniversary at Expo 2025 Osaka, Japan.
The 2025 edition of the Compasso d’Oro took inspiration from Expo’s theme, “Designing Future Society for Our Lives,” with Pirelli receiving recognition in the Connecting Lives category. The P Zero E was celebrated for its ability to combine high performance with sustainability, reducing environmental impact while enhancing driving experiences.
Pirelli P Zero E stands as the world’s first ultra-high-performance (UHP) tire designed with an unprecedented percentage of natural and recycled materials, making it a true revolution in tire design. The product merges industrial design, sustainable innovation, and advanced technology, setting a new benchmark for the global tire industry.
Launched in 2023, the P Zero E became the first UHP tire to contain more than 55% bio-based and recycled materials, without compromising performance or safety – even on wet surfaces. The tire also received the highest triple “A” European tire label rating for wet grip, rolling resistance, and noise reduction.
Equipped with Pirelli’s latest technologies, such as Elect (boosting EV and hybrid range by up to 10%) and RunForward (allowing driving continuity even after punctures), the P Zero E embodies the future of sustainable mobility.
Another breakthrough is its integration with Pirelli Cyber Tyre – the world’s first hardware and software system embedded directly into the tire. This innovation collects data via sensors and processes it through proprietary algorithms, enabling advanced vehicle functions and seamless integration with future smart roads and smart cities.
Piero Misani, Pirelli’s Vice President and Global Director of Technology, emphasized the importance of this achievement during the award ceremony:
“This prestigious award, while recognizing Pirelli’s design excellence and the innovative scope of products like the P Zero E, also confirms research and development as the driving force behind progress and sustainability. At Pirelli, we continuously commit to R&D, using new materials with lower environmental impact and increasingly leveraging advanced artificial intelligence at every stage. This allows us to set global standards in technological innovation and breakthrough solutions for developing the tires of the future.”
This is not Pirelli’s first encounter with the legendary Compasso d’Oro. Over the years, the company’s name has been associated with several design projects – from rubber toys and flooring materials to iconic advertising campaigns and exhibitions. In 2013, Pirelli’s Rubber Soul exhibition won the Red Dot Design Award and was included in the ADI Design Index. More recently, its editorial project Publicity with a Capital P was shortlisted in 2020.
Before being permanently added to the ADI Design Museum in Milan, the P Zero E will be showcased at the Italian Pavilion during Expo 2025 Osaka. The model aligns with the expo’s theme of “Designing Future Society for Our Lives” by embodying modern mobility, sustainability, and circular economy practices. With innovative use of recycled materials like lignin and AI-driven design processes, the P Zero E is a benchmark for the future of tire manufacturing.
Through collaboration across its global R&D centers, universities, research hubs, and suppliers, Pirelli has once again proven why it stands at the forefront of mobility innovation worldwide.
