Yokohama Rubber Establishes New R&D Center in China

The Yokohama Rubber Co., Ltd., announces that it has established an R&D center in Hangzhou, China. The new center began operations in May 2026 inside the Company’s new passenger car tire plant that started production in November 2025. With the establishment of the new center, Yokohama Rubber aims to build a system that can initiate and complete the R&D of new products for the China market locally, enabling it to dramatically speed up its response to demand in the Chinese market. The new center will enhance Yokohama Rubber’s R&D capabilities in China, and combined with the start of operations at the recently established tire plant, will strengthen Yokohama Rubber’s development and production of tires for the Chinese market.

Yokohama Rubber’s China business includes the production and sale of passenger car tires as well as conveyor belts and hoses and couplings of its MB (Multiple Business) division, with its local production network including tire plants in Hangzhou and Suzhou and MB plants in Hangzhou and Weifang. The new center will consolidate the R&D functions of Yokohama Rubber’s tire and MB businesses in China, as well as expand R&D-related staff and testing facilities. In addition to continuing the Company’s efforts related to new product development, the new center’s operations will also include R&D on new raw materials and the cultivation of new suppliers in China. By strengthening local R&D operations in overseas markets, Yokohama Rubber is increasing the market competitiveness of the global Yokohama Rubber Group.

As part of the growth strategy in Yokohama Transformation 2026 (YX2026), the Company’s medium-term management plan for fiscal years 2024–2026, Yokohama Rubber is implementing Product and Regional Strategies aimed at strengthening its development, supply, and sale of products that respond to specific trends in each regional market as well as a Technology and Production Strategies based on the motto “Low cost, speedy development of quality products.” The new center in China aligns with these strategies, as it will strengthen the development of products suitable for the Chinese market and promote the Technology and Production Strategy’s efforts to raise the efficiency and speed of new product development while also drastically reducing product costs.

Company name: Yokohama China Technical Center Location: No.10188-18 Hongshiwu road, Linjiang Street, Qiantang District, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China Functions: Tire development; analysis, evaluation, and adoption of raw materials; preparation of mold drawings; supplier audits, etc.

Source: Yokohama