Hankook Tire reveals Sustainable Concept Tyre and WheelBot 2 at Pangyo Technoplex

Hankook Tire presented new design outcomes at “Design Innovation Day 2025” on 11 September at its Pangyo Technoplex headquarters in Seongnam, Gyeonggi Province. The event gathered Hankook teams and partners including LG Electronics, Harvestance and CALMANTECH. Two highlights were a Sustainable Concept Tyre built with 3D printing and recycled materials, and WheelBot 2, a multi-directional mobility platform featuring tri-axial spherical tyres.

What Hankook Tire showcased

• Sustainable Concept Tyre: Developed under the “Future Sustainability” theme, the tyre uses renewable and recycled inputs and was realised with advanced 3D printing tools. Hankook Tire collaborated with Harvestance using the ‘NTop’ software to produce an organic structure that demonstrates new approaches to sustainable manufacturing.

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• WheelBot 2 and PathCruizer: Co-developed with CALMANTECH, WheelBot 2 integrates a robotic wheel system and tri-axial spherical tyres for multi-directional movement. Hankook Tire demonstrated “PathCruizer”, a two-seat pod powered by WheelBot 2 to explore service-oriented mobility.

Why it matters for future mobility

Hankook Tire’s programme connects design research with practical testbeds for autonomy, robotics and additive manufacturing. A Hankook Tire spokesperson said the event is intended to link concept work with on-road applications that reduce materials use and open new service models.

Partners and knowledge sharing

LG Electronics’ Production Engineering Research Institute delivered a session on “Advancements and Importance of 3D Printing Technology”, supporting cross-industry knowledge exchange. Collaboration with CALMANTECH on WheelBot 2 and Harvestance on generative design illustrates how Hankook Tire uses open innovation to accelerate development.

Background: Design Innovation Project

Hankook Tire has run the Design Innovation Project since 2012 with leading design schools including the University of Cincinnati, the Royal College of Art and Pforzheim University. The programme informs concept tyres and mobility platforms and has contributed to recognition at major design awards.

Related Tyre News coverage

• Hankook Tire’s recent Red Dot design award for WeatherFlex GT underscores the brand’s design focus and global visibility. Read more >
• Hankook Tire’s 2024–25 ESG report outlines materials, circularity and governance updates relevant to procurement decisions.Read more >
• Hankook Tire’s OE fitment activity for the all-electric Porsche Macan shows how design and acoustics transfer to production EVs. Read more >

Event details and further reading

Design Innovation Day 2025 took place on 11 September at Technoplex in Pangyo, Seongnam. The agenda highlighted sustainable manufacturing, robotics and autonomous driving concepts, and reinforced ties with global partners across software and hardware. For the full announcement, see Hankook Tire’s media page - https://www.hankooktire.com/us/en/company/media-center/media-detail.631982.html

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Tagged with: Hankook Tire, sustainable concept tyre, 3D printing, WheelBot 2, CALMANTECH, Harvestance, Technoplex, autonomous mobility, ESG, generative design, tyres, Pangyo

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