[THE INVESTOR]  Hankook Tire opened a new research and development center in central South Korea on Oct. 18 in its latest move to strengthen its technological prowess, company officials said.

The tire maker said the Hankook Technodome, in the central city of Daejeon, will act as a core instrument of its global R&D infrastructure. Currently, it runs R&D centers in the United States, China, Germany and Japan.

The US$235 million center -- which stands on a massive floor space of 1 million square feet -- is equipped with various state-of-the-art research and testing facilities that allow the company, among other things, to carry out virtual tests and record digital results.


Hankook Technodome was designed by Foster + Partners, a firm founded by British architect Norman Foster.

Suh Seung Hwa, vice chairman and CEO of Hankook Tire, said the new center will be a great foundation to lead the future of tire technology.

“Hankook Technodome is equipped with high tech facilities and 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 said.

(theinvestor@heraldcorp.com)