Crain News Service report
ENSCHEDE, Netherlands (Jan. 3, 2013) — India's Apollo Tyres Ltd. will open its global research and development center in Enschede on Jan. 11.
The company merged its research and development resources in Africa, Europe and India last year. Passenger and commercial vehicle tire development and testing will be located in the Netherlands and India respectively, while smaller teams will customize global products for local conditions.
Apollo said it employs about 250 in R&D.
According to the tire maker, the new structure will allow for a sharper focus on basic research, increased usage of alternative raw materials and market-led product performance.
The Enschede location for the R&D headquarters was chosen as close to both advanced testing facilities and the company's most challenging markets, Apollo said.
This report appeared on the website of European Rubber Journal, a U.K.-based companion publication of Tire Business.