Hankook Tire building new Korean R&D center

March 18, 2011

Hankook Tire is establishing a new R&D center in the Korean city of Daejeon. The company says it will be the largest tire R&D facility in the country.

When the new center opens in 2013 it will unite the different research and development departments at Hankook Tire under one roof. The current R&D center, located in the Korean city of Geumsan, will be converted and used in the future for research work on new production technologies and for tire testing.

"The ongoing growth of Hankook Tire is driven by the continuing investments in research and development. Our tire constructors are some of the best in the world and they develop tires at the highest technical level," explains Seung Hwa Suh, vice chairman and CEO at Hankook Tire. "We have ambitious goals. With the new R&D center, we will extend our technological advantage even further so that we can continue to supply customers throughout the world with top quality tires."

The company says sustainable growth has always been a fixed part of the Hankook Tire business philosophy. The tire manufacturer will be entering a new research era focusing on environmentally friendly materials and technologies with the new center. The company says it invests 5% of its profits in research and development, while 6% of all employees work exclusively in the research centers.