Toyo Tires has announced plans to establish an R&D laboratory on the premises of the Toyo Tires Serbia Factory. The facility is scheduled to become operational in January 2027 and is intended to further strengthen the group’s capabilities in Europe. The current European R&D facility in Germany will be closed by the end of 2026.
There is a growing need for improved energy efficiency – fuel/energy efficiency, enhanced safety performance in line with rising public safety awareness, and economic efficiency and durability. In tire manufacturing, on the other hand, it is necessary to meet contradictory performance requirements at the same time, including lower rolling resistance, higher wet and snow performance, reduced weight and improved wear resistance.
The the new facility is intended to support a global trilateral framework, strengthening collaboration between Japan, the USA and Europe and ushering in the next stage of technological development, the company said.
In its Medium-Term Business Plan, the company identified three areas of key differentiation technologies and has focused on honing them: advanced design, for achieving multiple performance requirements at a high level; customer-oriented product development, for creating products with differentiated features and appeals in a timely manner; and next-generation technology, for advancing technologies in anticipation of future societal needs.
Going forward, Toyo Tires aims to take technology development to the next stage by further strengthening this technological process, from advanced design to the commercialization of customer-oriented products.
The company has identified processing technology as a key focus for its European R&D efforts, and says it will develop new rubber compounds, materials and mixing techniques to boost both productivity and tire performance at the new Serbian R&D center, adding that the on-site proving grounds enable immediate testing with actual vehicles, helping shorten development cycles and speed up product innovation.
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