Tire manufacturer Prometeon Tyre Group has inaugurated its new US$15m R&D center in Kocaeli, Turkey.
The company says the center is a key milestone in its global strategy and that R&D investment corresponds to nearly 3% of the group’s revenues.
The facility will contribute to developing new tire technologies able to reduce fuel consumption and CO2 emissions. Achieving the same production levels with lower energy costs through leaner processes and reducing fuel consumption by decreasing the rolling resistance of products are also part of new facility’s goals.
Alexandre Bregantim, global CTO of Prometeon Tyre Group, commented, “Today (Sept 9), we inaugurated yet another remarkable milestone in the Prometeon Tyre Group’s successful path. Over last three years, we implemented several strategic initiatives that made Prometeon healthier, stronger and more resilient in an unprecedented scenario. Strategic interventions at every stage of the company’s value chain, a very strong focus on sustainability and human resources have allowed our company to promptly and effectively tackle the pandemic, both financially and commercially. The new R&D Center fits into this strategy and will allow us to achieve our goals, improving our offering of both products and customer services, consolidating our partnerships with OEMs and further raising our quality and efficiency standards”.
The center is located at the firm’s Kocaeli plant, which was built in 1960 as the first tire factory in Turkey. With this investment, the R&D team in Turkey will grow to 30 engineers. Prometeon Tyre Group owns three R&D centers worldwide, in Turkey, Italy and Brazil. The Group also boasts a Development Centre in Egypt.
