Hankook opens winter tire test facility

Hankook’s Technotrac in Ivalo, Finland

Hankook has opened the doors to it winter tire testing facility. And you’ll have to go north to find it. Way north.

Technotrac is 300km north of the Arctic Circle in Ivalo, Finland. It was commissioned in late 2015 to Test World Oy, an independent Finnish tire testing company

The stability and long-lasting winter conditions were primary factors for choosing the test facility’s location, Hankook said in a press release.

“Technotrac consists of flat tracks used for testing braking, traction and latter stability on snow and ice, as well as two snow handling tracks for subjective tire evaluation,” the company stated. “The site also features an excellent infrastructure, boasting offices, conference rooms, state-of-the-art workshops and a large cold-storage warehouse.”

The tire maker will use the site to test new material and is “the latest stage in the company’s commitment to aggressive R&D initiatives,” the company said.

“Technotrac in Ivalo is another testimony that represents our strong global competitiveness through technology leadership,” said Seung-Hwa Suh, vice chairman and chief executive officer of Hankook Tire. “By proactively facing rapid changes in the business environment and delivering products optimized for various customer needs, we will continue to acquire more robust, advanced research and development capabilities as a global premium tire brand.”