Hyundai Motor Group broke ground for their seven-story Innovation Centre in Singapore (HMGICS) at the Jurong Innovation District, intended for research and development that will revolutionise the future mobility value chain.
“HMGICS 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 Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, who graced the virtual ceremony.
“Singapore’s goal is to have all our vehicles run on cleaner energy by 2040, in line with our Paris Agreement commitments,” said Lee. “We hope this will open up new growth areas for our economy, and create exciting jobs for Singaporeans.”
Euisun Chung, executive vice chair of Hyundai Motor, said HMGICS will strive for “Human-Centered Value Chain Innovation for a Mobility Paradigm Shift.”
Through the lab, Hyundai Motor will develop innovative systems that combine advanced technologies such as AI, ICT, and big data to allow for work environment where creative potentials are fulfilled and human value is enhanced.
In the future, customers will be able to customise and purchase vehicles online using a smartphone, which will immediately start production using Hyundai’s on-demand technology.
Customers may then watch their car being manufactured at HMGICS. Once the car is ready for delivery, it will be transferred to the 620-meter-long Sky Track where customer can test drive the vehicle.
The centre will also act as a test bed for a human-centred intelligent manufacturing platform with small scale EV production facility on site.
The facility will use the latest “Industry 4.0” smart technologies, such as artificial intelligence (AI), Internet of Things (IoT) and robotics. The logistics and assembly lines within HMGICS will be highly automated to establish a safe and efficient work environment.