Davanti’s new European Development Centre will drive development of next-gen tyres
7th December 2020
British-owned tyre brand Davanti Tyres is opening an innovative new European Development Centre at Applus+ IDIADA in Spain to spearhead its next-generation tyre design.
The hi-tech facility will allow Davanti’s research and development team to experiment more with innovative new designs and materials, speed up new product development and enhance ongoing testing and improvement of its existing range.
With greater access to IDIADA’s world-leading proving grounds all year round, Davanti will be able to push the boundaries of innovation further than ever, utilising year-round wet and dry testing facilities to develop new products, solve challenges facing the whole tyre industry and strategically plan new developments further into the future to expand Davanti’s product offering.
“This is the biggest step Davanti has taken since we brought our first tyre – the DX390 – to market,” said Davanti Tyres General Manager Peter Cross. “We will now be able to physically trial a greater number of prototypes at an earlier development stage in order to ensure our next generation of products establish a new benchmark for excellence.
“Successful products require extensive development testing on proving grounds. Having our own facility on-site at IDIADA will allow us to gather a much greater amount of data on what developments work well and what do not in a way that we could never learn purely from computer simulations or lab results.
“Investing in the European Development Centre gives us a platform to be a driving force in the development of next-generation tyres. As environmental regulations change and the way vehicles are designed and built evolves, tyres will need to adapt.
“We’re a dynamic brand and we need the bandwidth in our testing and development capabilities to match our expansion plans for the medium and long term.
“This facility gives us the flexibility to continue to be innovative and disruptive within the market. To think boldly and ensure Davanti is at the forefront of tyre innovation at a time of significant change.”
Davanti has equipped the facility with a suite of cutting edge tyre analysis and design equipment and it will be the brand’s hub for all prototype engineering and testing.
It will also open up the site for its customers, allowing them to see Davanti’s research and development processes first-hand and giving engineers a direct line of communication to the market to help steer development to suit changing customer demand.
Davanti has also committed significant investment to the project despite the ongoing global pandemic. According to Peter, waiting to develop driver safety and tyre efficiency was not considered an option.
“Covid has presented every industry in the world with challenges this year,” he said. “But what it has shown is innovation, investing in ideas, is always a good investment.
“Throughout 2020’s cycle of lockdowns and restrictions people have still needed to use the roads safely. Davanti’s primary commitment has always been road safety and we remain dedicated to improving that in everything we do.
“Our team will now be able to explore what the market needs from our next generation of tyres. How to optimise performance, enhance safety and develop a range of tyres which meets the needs and expectations of not just the drivers of today, but the drivers of tomorrow.”
