With more than 1 million square feet of floor space, a six-story R&D building and an eight-story residence building, Hankook Tire Co. Ltd.'s new Research and Development Center is an impressive structure. Hankook even has a name for it: the Technodome.
The company held the grand opening for the Technodome in Daejeon, Korea, on Oct. 18, 2016. At the opening ceremony, Vice Chairman and CEO Seung Hwa Suh said the new Hankook Technodome is equipped with high-tech facilities and is designed with the optimal work environment "to strengthen our global competitiveness through innovation, while actively dealing with rapid changes in the business environment and delivering products optimized for various customers’ needs.”
He believes the Technodome "will be a great foundation to lead the future of tire technology, as it symbolizes optimized process in development of future technologies and securing original technologies through strengthening our headway towards a global top-tier company.”
The Hankook Technodome was designed by Foster + Partners, an architectural firm founded by Sir Norman Foster. The firm integrated Hankook’s cutting-edge technology, vision, and culture into the design.
Under the "One Company Concept," 10 independent offices and laboratories are housed under the same roof to symbolize that all the offices are of one company. Also, the center arena was created for employees to organically enjoy comfortable and active communication.
In addition, the residence building is equipped with employee accommodations including a fitness center, medical clinics, café, and a day care center.
The total investment in the Technodome was close to $236.5 million.
The Hankook Technodome achieved Gold certification of LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design), one of the most prestigious green building certification systems, from the U.S. Green Building Council.
For more information, visit Hankook Tire’s global website at www.hankooktire.com/global.
