Nokian Tyres to Build New R & D Center 

To meet growing demand for premium work truck tires, in 2019 Nokian Heavy Tyres will build a new research and development center in Nokia, Finland. 

The modern R&D center accelerates the testing phase of new tire models, maintaining the premium quality that Nokian Tyres has been known for 120 years.

“In the entire history of Nokian Tyres, this is the most remarkable investment in the product development of heavy tires”, says Nokian Heavy Tyres R & D Manager Kalle Kaivonen.

The new R & D Center with ca. 3 500 square meters is part of a substantial production capacity increase. A year ago, Nokian Heavy Tyres Ltd, part of the Nokian Tyres group, reacted to growing global demand of tires with an ongoing 3-year R & D and production investment of approximately EUR 70 million and 50% production capacity growth target.

“Everything is well on schedule. The first stage of production plant expansion is complete, and the second part will be ready in April 2019. In Summer 2019 we will start the installation of new machinery”, tells Nokian Heavy Tyres Plant Director Pasi Antinmaa.

Nokian Heavy Tyres continues to serve all fields of heavy work from forestry and agriculture to mining and transportation. In the new R & D center all indoor testing will be in the same facility and close to production lines which are all located in Nokia. This makes operation optimally efficient.

“The center will be filled with modern machinery”, says Nokian Heavy Tyres Development Manager Matti Kaunisto. “We can triple the number of tires tested and test more variables to serve our OEM clients with the highest standards.”

For Nokian Tyres it is a priority to make the entire lifecycle of the tire ecological. To acquire this high standard in sustainability the new technologies in R & D are a remarkable step.

The new modern testing machinery of the R & D Center and increasingly specific data collection will ensure Nokian Heavy Tyres leads the upcoming revolution of heavy work. New innovations will enable the development of groundbreaking future solutions. For instance, to move safely and predictably without driver’s experience and evaluation, the steering system of unmanned vehicle sets higher demands on tire industry.

“Unmanned tractors will be working among us in the future, and those machines need premium tires as well as comprehensive data of those tires to make steering safe and accurate”, says Kaunisto.