Aju Business Daily

SEOUL -- Hyundai Motor will set up a global mobility innovation research center in Singapore to research and develop new businesses and technologies related to the company's future mobility vision.

The South Korean carmaker said in a statement on Tuesday that the company will establish Hyundai Mobility Global Innovation Center in Singapore (HMGICs) with support from the Singapore Economic Development Board. The innovation lab is expected to be constructed in the second half of 2022.

According to Hyundai, the research center will be located in Singapore's Jurong Innovation District, a western manufacturing district over an area of 44,000 square meters (473,612 square feet). The research center will be operated as an open innovation lab to help Hyundai transform into a smart mobility solution company by developing sustainable future growth engines and business models.

"HMGICs will be a test-bed to explore and validate the future Hyundai is envisioning. Combining Hyundai’s innovative spirit and Singapore’s fertile atmosphere, we will develop ground-breaking businesses and future technologies," Hyundai Motor Company president Seo Bo-shin was quoted as saying.

HMGICs will be Hyundai's test-bed to demonstrate future mobility services using multiple modes of transport including autonomous shuttles and last-mile mobility scooters that carry drivers to their final destination from their vehicles. Researchers at the innovation lab will also develop human-centered smart factory platform technologies as well as new methods of vehicle development using the smart factory technology.

To strengthen its global competitiveness and broaden its areas of expertise, Hyundai has revealed its plan to become the mobility service company that will be a vital part of human-centered future cities at the Consumer Electronics Show held in Las Vegas in January this year.

In collaboration with Uber, a globally popular ride-hailing mobility service, Hyundai unveiled a glimpse of its electric air vehicle that would shape the concept of future urban transportation. The carmaker said the air-taxis capable of carrying five passengers are designed to be flown by a pilot but it will eventually fly autonomously.

In august last year, the company introduced a prototype of a foldable electric scooter that fits into the trunk of a car. The scooter was designed to carry a driver to his or her destination quickly and conveniently. The folding last-mile scooters will be available as an option for Hyundai and Kia cars from 2021.