Nexen Tyre opened a technical center in vicinity of Frankfurt, Germany, in March, and wants the Nexen Europe Technical Center to be Europe and South Korea’s interface for Nexen’s engineering development. 
At the private opening celebration, Min-Hyeon Han, senior executive and vice president of Nexen Tyre’s Research and Development Center in South Korea, emphasized Europe’s central role in the brand’s global expansion. Nexen has set itself the objective of becoming one of the top 10 tire manufacturers worldwide by 2015.
The first employment contracts have already been signed. By the end of 2011, seven engineers are to be appointed within the tire design and automotive departments. Over the next five years, the number of employees is set to rise to around 20 people.
Some 500 square meters of office space and 700 square meters of warehouse space have been made available, together with a fully equipped workshop for the preparation of tire tests. The shelf system is designed to store up to 10,000 items. The NETC has been fully operational since mid-April this year.
Among the responsibilities ahead, the center is said to be tasked with the modification of the tread compounds of certain tire types, in order to comply with European markets’ needs and requirements; and carrying out Nexen tire tests on vehicles for the OE and aftermarket businesses.
The new European engineering headquarters work in close cooperation with Nexen’s Research and Development Center in South Korea. The latter’s workstations are being deployed for testing such properties as rolling resistance, durability, abrasion and tire characteristics on behalf of the NETC. Continuous exchange of information between the two centers takes place over the development of new compound concepts and new trends in raw materials for tire production.
Dr. Hendrik Stevens, a member of the management team since the beginning of the year, is responsible for compound material development and oversees Nexen’s participation in tire tests where organized by European publications. His objective is to increase Nexen brand awareness in Europe. “Such improvement would also facilitate OEM’s willingness to work with Nexen Tyre as a development partner,” said Stevens. (Tyres & Accessories)
