Hyundai Motor Group has broken ground on the Hyundai Motor Group Innovation Center in Singapore (HMGICS), an open innovation lab for research and development on future mobility.
The S$400 million centre covering 44,000 square metre in Jurong Innovation District should be ready by end 2022 and be able to produce up to 30,000 vehicles annually by 2025.
It will act as a test bed for a human-centred intelligent manufacturing platform with small scale electric vehicle production facility on site. The facility will utilise Industry 4.0 smart technologies such as artificial intelligence, Internet of Things and robotics.
“HMGICS is a major step forward for Hyundai Motor. The facility is the first of its kind in the world. It will pave the way for more Korean companies to invest here, partner with local suppliers and SMEs, and collaborate with our universities and research institutes,” said Lee Hsien Loong, Prime Minister of Singapore.
“Korea and Singapore have cooperated on multiple fronts and the HMGICS represents a new milestone in the continuing collaboration between our two nations. The key to this collaboration will lie in finding ways to bring together our respective strengths,” said Sung Yun-mo, Minister of Trade, Industry and Energy of Korea.
Customise vehicles
In the future, Hyundai customers will be able to customise and purchase vehicles online using a smartphone, which will immediately start production using on-demand technology. Customers can then watch their car being manufactured at HMGICS. Once the car is ready for delivery, it will be transferred to the 620-metre-long Sky Track at the roof of the facility where customers can test drive the vehicle.
The building will also feature a landing port for Urban Air Mobility (UAM) as well as solar panels to provide the site with clean renewable energy. It will gradually expand its use of renewable energy to eventually use fuel cell as a power supply to minimise emissions from power generation.
“Hyundai Motor Group Innovation Center in Singapore will strive for ‘Human-Centred Value Chain Innovation for a Mobility Paradigm Shift.’ We will offer products and services tailored to customers’ needs,” said Euisun Chung, Executive Vice Chairman of Hyundai Motor Group.
Entelechy Asia 