Hankook Tire to Build Top-Tier 'Test Engineering Centre' in Korea

SEOUL – Sept 13, 2013: Hankook Tire, the leading and one of the fastest growing tyre companies in the world, has revealed its investment plan to build the Hankook Tire Test Engineering Center in Sangju City, Korea. Hankook Tire signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Sangju City, located in the northern Gyeongsang province, and the company will invest a total of USD$240 million until 2020 for the construction of a top-tier proving ground and a tyre R&D facility.

Covering an area of 132 hectares, the Hankook Tire Test Engineering Center will be the largest proving ground in Korea, incorporating state-of-the-art test facilities. Upon its completion, the facility will be another key innovative factor driving the company’s future-oriented tyre technology development.

The Hankook Tire Test Engineering Center will be a fully-equipped proving ground with top-tier global standard tyre testing facility. For instance, the facility will enable tyre tests with ultra-high performance (UHP) tyre products, simulating extreme driving conditions. Tests with truck and bus tires (TBR) can also be conducted.

In addition, the engineering centre’s test track, around 30km long, will be able to emulate all types of road conditions around the world in all weather conditions, allowing Hankook Tire to conduct prior quality and performance tests to ensure its products accommodate each market’s demand and specific requirements.

Upon its completion, the Hankook Tire Test Engineering Center will become the company’s key R&D facility to allows its engineers to design, produce, test, and analyse tyres as a one-package process in one location.

Construction of the Hankook Tire Test Engineering Center will also contribute to the local economy through job creation due to the planned hiring of approximately 370 research and operational personnel. The proving ground, in addition to the Driving Center and Children’s Safety Experience Zone, both of which are still undergoing the planning process, will bring in a gamut of visitors from all fields and interests.

“The Hankook Tire Test Engineering Center in Sangju City, in addition to our new Central R&D Center, will become the center of global tyre technology and development,” said Mr. Seung Hwa Suh, Vice Chairman and CEO of Hankook Tire. Mr. Suh also added: “As a global top-tier tyre brand, Hankook Tire will continue our endeavor to provide drivers around the world with a premium driving experience with our unique advanced tire technology.”