Hankook Tire Reveals Strategic R&D Vision

Hankook Tire held a groundbreaking ceremony today for its new R&D centre, the HANKOOK TECHNODOME, at a construction site in Daejeon, Korea. Along with the celebratory event, the company also announced its strategic R&D vision for the company’s headway into becoming a global top-tier tire brand based on technological leadership.

Hankook Tire’s mid- to long-term strategic R&D plans were laid out, including plans that called for new tire research and testing facilities, which would in turn facilitate a considerable increase in Hankook Tire’s technological capabilities. A new high-tech R&D infrastructure will be established domestically with two main bodies: the HANKOOK TECHNODOME in Daeduk Innopolis, Daejeon, and the Hankook Test Engineering Center in Sangju.

The HANKOOK TECHNODOME, with a total investment of over $285 million CAD, is projected to be completed by 2016. Upon completion, this iconic, high-tech facility will become an incubator for innovative new technologies with future-oriented features. Furthermore, the Hankook Test Engineering Center is expected to be completed by 2018 and will serve as a hub for tire evaluation technologies. It will also be equipped with state-of-the-art tire testing facilities. Together, the two high-tech R&D facilities will act as the core instruments of the company’s overall R&D infrastructure.

“We strongly believe that acquiring more robust, more advanced R&D capabilities is a crucial step in our growth towards becoming a global top-tier tire brand,” said Mr. Seung Hwa Suh, vice-chairman and CEO of Hankook Tire. “The HANKOOK TECHNODOME has been designed to reflect our confidence in R&D and will be a meaningful milestone in Hankook Tire’s history. In addition, combined with our proactive corporate culture, the high-tech R&D facility will provide a great foundation for us to realize a management structure based on quality and progressive leadership.”