SEOUL, Korea – Hankook Tire held a groundbreaking ceremony this week for its new R&D center, the Hankook Technodome, at a construction site in Daejeon, Korea. Along with the celebratory event, the company also announced its strategic R&D vision, which aims to transform Hankook into a global top-tier tire brand based on technological leadership. 
Hankook Tire’s mid- to long-term strategic R&D plans were laid out, including plans that called for new tire research and testing facilities, which would in turn facilitate a considerable increase in Hankook Tire’s technological capabilities. A new high-tech R&D infrastructure will be established domestically with two main bodies: the Hankook Technodome in Daeduk Innopolis, Daejeon, and the Hankook Test Engineering Center in Sangju. 
The Hankook Technodome, with a total investment of KRW 266 billion, is projected to be completed by 2016. Upon completion, the high-tech facility will become an incubator for innovative new technologies with future-oriented features. Furthermore, the Hankook Test Engineering Center is expected to be completed by 2018 and will serve as a hub for tire evaluation technologies. It also will be equipped with state-of-the-art tire testing facilities. Together, the two high-tech R&D facilities will act as the core instruments of the company’s overall R&D infrastructure.
“We strongly believe that acquiring more robust, more advanced R&D capabilities is a crucial step in our growth formula toward becoming a global top-tier tire brand,” said Seung Hwa Suh, vice chairman and CEO of Hankook Tire. “The Hankook Technodome has been designed to reflect our confidence in R&D and will be a meaningful milestone in Hankook Tire’s history. In addition, combined with our proactive corporate culture, the high-tech R&D facility will provide a great foundation for us to realize a management structure based on quality and progressive leadership.”
With the new R&D infrastructure in place, the company will invest in retaining and attracting the best engineers and researchers in the field. At present, there are already about 700 researchers at Hankook Tire’s current R&D center in Korea. This number will grow to approximately 1,000 researchers at the Hankook Technodome.
The Hankook Technodome was designed by Foster + Partners, an architectural firm founded by Sir Norman Foster. The prominent British architect and his company are famous for bold, future-oriented designs. As such, the Hankook Technodome will take on a high-tech, cutting-edge aesthetic and also integrate an array of sophisticated features intended to stimulate creativity and improve efficiency. The Hankook Technodome will boast a massive floor space of 96,328 square meters and a total land area of 70,387 square meters. Inside the main research building, 90 separate laboratories will enable a wide range of R&D activities to be carried out simultaneously. The Hankook Technodome has been Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Gold Level certified as a result of its eco-friendly architectural features as well.
The Hankook Technodome’s eco-friendly features include the utilization of natural ventilation and lighting, as well as resource recycling facilities and natural shades that reduce the dependency on the building’s cooling system.
The high-tech design of the Hankook Technodome will enhance Hankook Tire’s unique ‘Proactive Culture’. Although the main research building will consist of 10 separate offices, all of them will be placed under one roof, signifying the ‘One Big Company’ with the importance of unity within the company. This in turn will help foster open communication and greater collaboration within the company’s corporate culture. In order to promote employee welfare and a healthy work-life balance, the Hankook Technodome will take advantage of a healthcare center, a fitness center and a multimedia room.
