Hyundai Motor Group has launched an innovation centre in Singapore to enhance production operations.
The Hyundai Motor Group Innovation Centre Singapore (HMGICS) uses the "smart urban mobility hub" concept with highly automated flexible production systems.
It aims for shared growth with Singapore's local businesses and academics, creating an open innovation ecosystem.
Following a human-centric manufacturing approach, the centre will focus on collaboration between people, robotics, and artificial intelligence (AI) technology to "new levels" of synchronisation.
HMGICS operates on a Metaverse-based digital-twin factory that optimises plant operation and allows virtual problem-solving to respond to changing customer demands and production requirements.
It can provide an "immersive brand experience" for buyers to interact with their vehicles and the Hyundai brand through flexible vehicle customisation and VR (virtual reality) factory tours.
Hyundai Motor Group's executive chair, Euisun Chung said the initiative seeks to redefine the very concept of manufacturing and create sustainable mobility solutions and progressive customer experience.
The facility has been "seamlessly" integrated into the Singapore smart city ecosystem and Jurong Innovation District, a manufacturing ecosystem of R&D centres, technology partners and training providers.
It boasts the capability to manufacture up to 30,000 EVs per annum.
"The centre will serve as a testbed for developing future mobility solutions — including Purpose Built Vehicles (PBVs)," he added.
Building Robotaxi
Hyundai along with Motional, the Aptiv-Hyundai joint venture aimed to commercialise autonomous vehicles (AV), announced plans to co-develop IONIQ 5 Robotaxi at the new Singapore centre.
The HMGICS supports AV production with advanced automation, real-time monitoring, data evaluation, testing facilities and a calibration centre.
Operational since early 2023, Hyundai said the facility already produces IONIQ 5 and the fully autonomous IONIQ 5 Robotaxi and will add IONIQ 6 to its portfolio of models built on-site next year.
