WILLICH, Germany — Toyo Tire Corp., which recently disclosed plans for a tire factory in Serbia, has selected Willich, a town in northwest Germany near Düsseldorf, as the site for a European research and development center.
The 27,000-sq.-ft. center will begin operations this fall with an objective of building a strong technical foundation in Europe by strengthening capability of product development, corresponding to the "movement" of next-generation mobility, Toyo said.
The center will combine material research with technology development and fulfill the function of ensuring the development and production of high-performance, high-value-added tires for the European market, which represents about 15% of Toyo's global sales.
The center, which will complement R&D centers in Japan and the U.S., will employ 10 initially. Toyo did not disclose an investment sum for the project but did say it's studying the need for and opportunities to expand the R&D function in Europe beyond this site.