1. Tyrolit has over a century of heritage. How does this legacy shape your strategic vision for the company today?

Our legacy of more than 100 years provides the foundation for our credibility and long-term strategic thinking. It shapes our vision by combining traditional craftsmanship and deep material expertise with pioneering technologies, ensuring stability and reliability in a volatile global market.

• What are the key strategic priorities for Tyrolit over the next three to five years in a rapidly evolving global manufacturing landscape?

Our priorities for 2026–2030 include the digitalisation of grinding processes through the integration of AI technologies, expanding our local footprint in emerging markets such as India, and transitioning from a product supplier to a holistic system provider for process optimisation.

This strategy is strongly supported by Team Tyrolit in India, whose regional presence, application expertise, and close customer proximity enable us to translate global innovation into market-specific solutions.

• Innovation is central to Tyrolit’s identity. How do you ensure continuous technological leadership across such a broad product portfolio?

We maintain leadership through significant R&D investment and a matrix organisation that facilitates technology transfer across industries, such as from aerospace to automotive. Collaboration with elite universities and research institutes helps us anticipate and drive future trends.

• How is digitalisation influencing Tyrolit’s approach to product development, process optimization and customer engagement?

Digitalisation is manifested in “Smart Grinding.” We use digital prototyping for development, offer digital assistance systems like Tool Scope to help customers maximise tool life and minimize waste, and provide 24/7 support through e-commerce and digital application consulting.

• With a wide range of standard and customised solutions, how does Tyrolit balance scalability with application-specific precision?

We utilise a modular manufacturing strategy. While high-volume standard products are made on automated lines, specialised “Customisation Cells” handle high-precision niche solutions, allowing us to scale bespoke specifications to industrial volumes rapidly.

• Which end-use industries do you see driving the next phase of growth for Tyrolit, and what is enabling this momentum?

Growth is driven by E-mobility, medical technology (implants), and the semiconductor industry. This momentum is enabled by the increasing demand for harder materials and tighter tolerances, where our high-performance abrasives excel.

• Managing a global manufacturing and distribution footprint comes with complexity. What are the key challenges and learnings in building a resilient supply chain?

A key learning is the “Local for Local” approach. By strengthening regional hubs, we reduce dependency on global logistics and improve responsiveness.

In markets like India, Team Tyrolit’s strong regional presence and market expertise play a critical role in ensuring supply reliability, faster decision-making, and consistent customer support. A digitally monitored supply chain allows us to anticipate and mitigate bottlenecks before they impact our customers.

• How is Tyrolit enhancing manufacturing efficiency while maintaining high standards of quality, safety and cost competitiveness?

We implement Lean Manufacturing and Industry 4.0 principles, using real-time automated quality controls. Our adherence to the strictest global safety standards ensures maximum reliability while maintaining cost-efficiency through optimised production.

• Sustainability is increasingly critical for industrial companies. How is Tyrolit embedding sustainability into products, processes and corporate strategy?

Sustainability is a core pillar: we develop naphthalene-free specification systems, reduce the CO2 footprint of our plants using renewable energy, and implement circular economy programs to recover valuable raw materials from used tools.

1. From a leadership perspective, what kind of organisational culture is essential to sustain innovation and long-term growth at Tyrolit?

A culture of entrepreneurship and personal responsibility is essential. We foster an environment where flat hierarchies and the courage to challenge the status quo allow us to maintain the innovative spirit that has defined Tyrolit for over a century.