Nexen appoints ex-Porsche official as R&D executive

Seoul – Nexen Tire is strengthening its global research and development competitiveness with the appointment of former Porsche tire development head Michael Haupt as its new R&D executive.

The company named Haupt as the head of premium OE division at its Nexen Central Research Institute in Seoul, which was inaugurated earlier in April.

Haupt has previously worked as head of business sector at Ford Motor and since 1996 as the head of Porsche's chassis and tire development, Nexen said in a statement 26 Aug.

With the appointment, Nexen expects to increase its premium OE supply and to develop next-generation products for the rapidly changing automotive industry.

In addition, the company plans to advance its global R&D capabilities through “active communication and collaboration” with its research centres in Europe, the US and China.

The South Korean tire maker also aims to advance industry 4.0 through the recruitment of “global core talents.”

Nexen has stepped up its R&D activities in recent years.

The company relocated its head office in Germany and its European technical centre to a new building in Kelkheim, near Frankfurt, in September last year.

The tire maker also expanded its technical presence in the US with a $5-million investment in its facilities in Richfield, Ohio, last year.