In 2007, LANXESS entered into an agreement with the Beijing Research & Design Institute of Rubber Industry, China’s national testing center for tires. The institute has advanced equipment and expertise in tire and rubber research, their engineering design as well as testing. Among other things, this highly acclaimed institute is helping LANXESS tap into the fastest-growing tire market in the world. It is also supporting LANXESS customers of high-performance polybutadiene rubber and styrene butadiene rubber.