Posts
Mobiltech: 1st investment for Hankook fund
In May we shared that Hankook & Company Co., Ltd., the holding company of Hankook Tire & Technology Co., Ltd., had established a fund the previous month to facilitate the securing of a new growth engine. The company reports that this business portfolio, named S.T.R.E.A.M., has made its first investment. It has invested in Mobiltech, an artificial intelligence-based spatial information and service start-up, and is now contemplating potential joint projects with Hankook Tire.
Roadmate: Hankook Tire supplying exclusive brand to Korea’s SpeedMate
SpeedMate claims to be South Korea’s leading automotive aftermarket brand, and tyres are just one of many products sold through its outlets and Tire Pick O2O platform. The SK Group company has now entered into an agreement with Hankook Tire & Technology for the supply of an exclusive tyre brand, Roadmate.
Domestic market launch for Hankook Winter i*cept RS² successor
The 2015-launched Hankook Winter i*cept RS² is still delivering strong performances in comparative tyre tests, such as its ‘good’ rating in Auto Bild’s winter 2021 evaluation, but a successor tyre is already available – in Korea, at least. Hankook Tire & Technology is launching the Winter i*cept RS³ in its domestic market today.
Tyres to shoes: Hankook collaborating with Yase
Hankook Tire is collaborating with Korean footwear brand Yase to launch a range of eco-friendly shoes made using recycled tyres. This ‘Zero – Leave Nothing Behind’ project offers those still too young to drive the opportunity to get to know Hankook Tire – the tyre maker expects the products will “resonate with customers who are early adopters and are conscious about the environment.”
Nexen Tire launches N’Fera Racing Team
A ceremony was held at Nexen Tire’s R&D centre in Seoul yesterday to mark the official debut of the N’Fera Racing Team. Several of the South Korean tyre maker’s top executives attended the event, including chief executive officer Travis (Ho-chan) Kang, as well as Hwang Doyun, the team’s first driver.
Hankook & Company signs MOU with KAIST to build data infrastructure platform
Hankook & Company Co., Ltd., the holding company of Hankook Tire & Technology Co., Ltd., has expanded its cooperation with the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST) through the signing of a memorandum of understanding with its College of Engineering. This latest MoU centres on the ‘Symbiotic Transformation for AI-infused Reality (STAR) Project’ and seeks to “build a data infrastructure platform and strengthen cooperation in researches for the post-AI age.” One potential outcome of this collaboration is that data will later be used in Hankook’s tyre research and development.
Hankook: HK-KAIST collaboration widens
Under extensions to an agreement first signed in 2019, tyre maker Hankook and the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST) will continue and expand operations at the HK-KAIST Digital Innovation Center, which is located within the Hankook Technodome in Daejeon, Korea.
Hankook at 80 – company announces S.T.R.E.A.M. business portfolio
South Korean tyre maker Hankook has turned 80, and Hankook & Company Co., Ltd. is marking the occasion with the launch of a new long-term business portfolio. This portfolio, explains Hankook Tire & Technology’s holding company, will advance “new growth engines of the future.” Hankook & Company has also declared a renewed commitment to increase competitiveness and gain stronger leadership in the company’s core businesses.
Air Premia selects Michelin as exclusive tyre supplier
From its base at Seoul Incheon Airport in South Korea, Air Premia will soon start operating regional flights to Vietnam (Hanoi) and Japan (Tokyo), with plans to fly intercontinental routes in the coming years. By 2024, Air Premia aims to have a fleet of ten Boeing 787-9 aircraft fitted exclusively with Michelin tyres. The Air Premia-operated Boeing 787-9 planes will be equipped with Michelin Air X tyres featuring patented Near Zero Growth (NZG) technology.
Kumho investing $300 million in tyre factory expansion plans
Kumho Tire Co is planning to invest some 340 billion won (£217 million; 255 million euros; US$298 million) in expanding its tyre production facilities in Vietnam. The planned investment aimed at bracing for an increase in demand from North American markets and mitigating tariff-related price pressure, according to local news sources.
Hankook working with Hyundai & Kia on data-based services
Hankook Tire will work together with Hyundai Motor and Kia to develop intelligent services for consumables management based on the three companies’ data and technologies. This collaboration will take place under a Memorandum of Understanding that the companies sealed through a virtual signing ceremony yesterday.
Hella sells Mando Hella Electronics joint venture shares to partner Mando
Automotive supplier Hella intends to sell its 50 per cent share in the South Korean joint venture Mando Hella Electronics (MHE) to Mando. The two partners have now signed a corresponding agreement and the transaction is expected to close in the first quarter of 2021 calendar year. The price is “around €60 million.”
USA approves anti-dumping duties on tyres from 4 countries
Anti-dumping duties as high as 98% may be applied to passenger vehicle and light truck tyres entering the USA from South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand and Vietnam. The U.S. Department of Commerce announced on 30 December that it will instruct U.S. Customs and Border Protection to collect cash deposits from importers of these products.
Hankook Tire shares update on risk detection tech development
Hankook Tire has released a video that explains its work on pre-emptive road risk detection technology in collaboration with data and technology company SK Planet. The result of this joint effort is the Road Hazard Prediction & Detection Solution.
