Hyundai Motor Group has signed a $6.1 billion deal to develop an innovation hub covering AI, robotics and more in its native South Korea.
The automaker, which sells Hyundai, Kia and Genesis-branded vehicles, announced a nine trillion won agreement with the Korean government and Jeonbuk state to begin construction later this year.
The center will be located in the Semengeum area of Gunsan, a well-connected port city with a population of about a quarter million people, about 110 miles southwest of the capital, Seoul.
Hyundai has identified five sectors that it will focus on as it looks to play a key role in shaping the industrial landscape of its country.
Leading the way as the largest investment at $4 billion is the establishment of AI data center infrastructure, which will be responsible for processing the large data sets required for autonomous driving and robotics.
The company has made no secret of its ambition to play a globally leading role in the development of automated transportation. vehicles tested Equipped with years of in-house technology in Korea Commit to the next Urban Mobility AllianceA program dedicated to developing a future mobility ecosystem in the country focused on autonomous driving. Furthermore, it has signed agreements with American companies waymo And override Jointly developing robotaxis.
Key features of the AI data center will be 50,000 GPUs, storage for model learning and training, development of software-defined vehicles, and implementation of “smart factories.” Construction is scheduled to begin in 2027 and be completed in 2029.
The second element of the Gunsan Hub will be a robotics manufacturing cluster, which Hyundai has earmarked for about $277 million. Hyundai presented a detailed view of it robotics roadmap at this year’s CES and has already revealed its upcoming production version MobED Mobility Robot.
The cluster is scheduled for completion in 2029, and will include a foundry operation plant and component supply area, as well as a robot application center for the training and validation of robots. Hyundai said it will eventually be able to assemble 30,000 robots a year using the company’s autonomous manufacturing equipment.
Other elements of the new Innovation Hub are a proton exchange membrane electrolyzer plant to produce clean hydrogen, another important part for Hyundai’s future, which has been promised $694 million; development of solar energy infrastructure (or $902 million); and the development of an AI/hydrogen smart city ($277 million), which the company has first displayed In concept form.
This initiative is part of Hyundai comprehensive plan It will invest $85 billion in its home country by 2030, and is expected to generate an economic impact of $11 billion while creating approximately 71,000 jobs.
“What we are building at Semengeum will reshape not only the region, but the industrial future of Korea,” Jaehoon Chang, vice president of Hyundai Motor Group’s automotive division, said in a press release. “Hyundai Motor Group brings together the manufacturing excellence, AI capabilities and hydrogen energy expertise needed to establish a truly advanced industrial ecosystem.”
