Kumho Tire wins bronze at 2026 IDEA Design Award

Kumho Tire announced Tuesday that it won a bronze award at the 2026 International Design Excellence Awards, known as IDEA.

IDEA is an international design competition organized by the Industrial Designers Society of America and is considered one of the world's three most prestigious design awards, alongside Germany's iF Design Award and Red Dot Design Award. Winners are selected through a comprehensive evaluation of design innovation, user benefit and social contribution, among other criteria.

Kumho Tire entered its future modular tire concept, the Omni Ring, and took bronze in the Concept & Speculative Design category. The company had earlier this year won main prizes at both the iF Design Award and the Red Dot Design Award with the same product, and the latest IDEA win means Kumho Tire has swept all three of the world's top design awards for two consecutive years.

The Omni Ring is a modular tire optimized for future transportation systems, capable of moving in multiple directions. It features a range of tread pattern designs tailored to deliver peak performance depending on driving conditions and travel purpose, and the number of units can be flexibly adjusted to suit the size and shape of the mobility platform.

"This IDEA award recognizes Kumho Tire's vision for the future mobility environment and our innovative design capabilities," said Kim Young-jin, executive vice president and head of the company's research and development division. "We will continue to develop products and designs that reflect the evolving mobility landscape and the needs of our customers, strengthening our global brand competitiveness."

Meanwhile, Kumho Tire has been expanding its global customer reach through a range of marketing activities, including recently signing an official tire partnership with Polish football club Gornik Zabrze.