The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company has established a new product development center at its manufacturing facility in Pulandian, China. The new center, its first such facility in China, “expands Goodyear’s capabilities in the Asia Pacific region and will enable it to increase the speed and efficiency of high value-added tire development, especially for China-based automakers,” said Richard J. Kramer, the company’s chairman and chief executive officer.

China is the world’s largest and fastest-growing market for passenger cars and commercial trucks. “The time is right for us to increase our capabilities in China to ensure we remain first with our customers,” Kramer added. “We have built strong relationships with original equipment manufacturers and our investment in this new development center will allow us to expand our new product offerings, accelerate our speed to market and increase the value we deliver to these key customers.”

Locating the Chinese center in Pulandian will support Goodyear’s market-back innovation approach, providing direct interactions between customers and designers, and building the company’s local capabilities. It will also allow the company to enter new original equipment platforms in China, including new energy vehicles.

“Core tire technology” will continue to be developed at the company’s two innovation centers in Akron, Ohio and Colmar-Berg, Luxembourg, “with China development activities focused on product customization for original equipment fitments and project support services,” said Kramer.

In addition to the new development center in China, Goodyear also operates similar facilities in Hanau, Germany, and Hebron, Ohio. The 117-year-old company also maintains 50 manufacturing plants in 22 countries including Canada, France, South Africa, Chile, India, Japan, Indonesia, the U.S. and China as well as the UK.