Hankook joins government-backed sustainable tire materials project

Seoul— Hankook Tire & Technology has joined a South Korean government-backed R&D project to develop tire technologies based on sustainable materials and increase the use of recycled feedstocks derived from end-of-life tires (ELTs).

The initiative seeks to accelerate Korea's circular economy by securing “high-quality recycled raw materials” from waste tires and advancing their commercialisation in tire manufacturing, said Hankook in a 4 June kickoff event.

The programme is carried out under the ministry of climate, energy and environment's “2026 environmental technology development programme.”

Hankook said the national project builds on work already under way through the industry's tire-to-tire (T2T) consortium, which was launched in South Korea in 2023 to advance resource-circulation technologies.

The tire maker said participation in the programme expands existing private-sector research into a broader collaboration involving industry, academia and research institutions.

The effort is intended to strengthen responses to evolving environmental regulations while improving resilience across raw material supply chains.

Drawing on its experience with the T2T consortium, Hankook said it plans to expand the use of circular raw materials derived from ELTs while enhancing technology and validation infrastructure.

The company said the project is expected to diversify sources of circular raw materials and help mitigate global supply-chain risks.

During the kick-off meeting, participating organisations shared project roadmaps and discussed future areas of cooperation.

The project brings together 11 organisations, including lead institution M&B Green Earth, Kumho Petrochemical, HS Hyosung, HS Hyosung Advanced Materials, Solvay, endirection, the Korea Research Institute of Chemical Technology (KRICT), KAIST, Pusan National University, Kwangwoon University and Soongsil University.

Through the initiative, Hankook said it aims to further advance tire manufacturing technologies incorporating recycled and sustainable materials.

The company is targeting the commercialisation of next-generation tires containing more than 85% sustainable materials while reducing carbon emissions by more than 50%.

The project is also expected to support large-scale verification of South Korea's tire-to-tire circular economy model through product demonstrations and integrated performance assessments.

"This national R&D project presents a meaningful opportunity to bring together the expertise of leading industry, academic, and research institutions," said Bonhee Koo, head of the R&D innovation division at Hankook Tire.