Hankook expands testing capacity in Spain

Global leading tire company Hankook Tire continues to significantly expand its testing and development capacities in Europe. A new, ultra-modern building on the premises of Applus+ IDIADA in Spain is now in operation. Hankook has been a tire partner in Idiada from the very beginning and was already significantly involved in the expansion of the test tracks on site in the past. With the new investment, Hankook can build on even more efficient and state-of-the-art, fully automated test logistics for European tire development in the future.

Neu-Isenburg, Germany, June 22, 2021 - Global leading tire company Hankook Tire has commissioned a new test center on the premises of the Applus+ IDIADA Group. The company's presence at the site, which is located around 60 km south-west of Barcelona, can look back on a successful 15-year partnership with the operator. Among other things, the wet handling track was developed taking Hankook’s recommendations into account.

Today, these areas also serve European premium car manufacturers, as development tracks for their own demanding tests. In order to be able to carry out the tire tests even more efficiently in the future, the new Hankook test center has been equipped with the most modern, automated and completely paperless test logistics, from the recording of results to storage and transport processing. In addition, the 20-strong test team of the Spanish Hankook test dependency, which is affiliated to the Hankook Europe Technical Center in Hanover, also has modern offices, recreation and social rooms.

"With the further expansion of our testing capacities in Spain, we are reaching the next level together with our local partner Applus+ IDIADA," says Klaus Krause, head of the European Research and Development Center in Hanover. "We are confident that the newly installed testing facilities in particular will significantly improve our efforts to provide the best tire testing conditions and services to our employees and customers. In addition, we will also be able to conduct significantly more tests on site."

The official inauguration on site will take place as soon as the current pandemic situation allows.