Establishment of TOYO TIRE's First European R&D Center

At a glance

Toyo Tire Corporation has announced the establishment of a new R&D Center in Germany, its first European technology development site. The center aims to strengthen product development capabilities in Europe and support the "movement" of next-generation mobility. Toyo will combine and share knowledge and information collected from its existing R&D centers in the United States and Japan. The company also plans to build a tire plant in Serbia and establish the technology center to collect market information and develop high-performance tires. The European R&D Center will have approximately 10 employees and will focus on surveying and evaluating raw materials, tire assessment, and information collection.

HYOGO, Japan - Toyo Tire Corporation (Headquarters: Itami City, Hyogo Prefecture; President: Takashi Shimizu) (TOKYO:5105) announces that it will establish a new R&D Center, the first European technology development site, in Germany (Willich, North Rhine-Westphalia).
The center is planned to begin operation this fall with an objective of building a strong technical foundation in Europe by strengthening capability of product development, corresponding to the “movement” of next-generation mobility. With the establishment of the center, Toyo will have technology development sites in the United States, Japan and Europe respectively. Toyo will enhance its capability of development among the current R&D centers and the new European center by combining and sharing knowledge and information collected.

In order to enhance its state-of-the-art technology in Europe, Toyo has announced on July 30th this year, to build a tire plant in the Republic of Serbia, starting tire production from January 2022. In line to this, Toyo will establish the technology center to expand its capability of collecting market information in the field of tire related materials, and the latest technology of tire products driven by the movement of next-generation mobility. Europe being a home to large numbers of top-ranking automobile manufacturers and automobile-related companies, to have a base in Europe is beneficial to Toyo especially in terms of the quality and fresh information. The center will combine material research with technology development and fulfill the function of ensuring the development and production of high-performance, high-value-added tires in the new plant developed on site.

Going forward, in conjunction with the beginning of full-fledged operations at the new tire plant in the Republic of Serbia, Toyo will continuously enhance its foundation for various types of technology in the field of tire compounding, production method, assessment and simulation technology which leads to strengthening Toyo’s strategic products. Such aim has already led Toyo to start its study of future expansion of the R&D function in Europe beyond this site.

Site summary

Facility name          Europe R&D Center
Location                 Willich, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany
No. of employees   Approximately 10 (as of 2022,
                                included 3 assigned from Japan)
Main functions        Survey and Evaluation of Raw Materials,
                               Tire Assessment and Collect Information, etc.
Building area          Approx. 2,500 m^2
Main facilities         Materials Testing Facilities,
                               Chemical Analysis Facilities