South Korea’s auto giant Hyundai Motor Co. will establish a mobility innovation “cradle” dubbed Hyundai Mobility Global Innovation Center (HMGICs) in Singapore to expand innovation network in Southeast Asia., the company announced Tuesday.

The center will be responsible for R&D for new technologies and finding new business opportunities under the support from Singapore’s Economic Development Board (EDB).

The company will break ground in May for the center that will command an area of 28,000 square meters on a site of 44,000 square meters. It aims to complete the construction by the second half of 2022.

Hyundai Motor plans to develop smart manufacturing platform that utilizes various technologies such as artificial intelligence and Internet of Things at the center. It said the platform will be used to produce electric vehicles that can be built with a fewer components and have simpler structure compared to conventional cars.

The company will also create a customized manufacturing system enabling production of personalized vehicles that meet individual customers’ needs.

Construction of the center is part of efforts to achieve its long-term mission of enabling ‘progress for humanity’, the company said.

“HMGICs will be a testbed to explore and validate the future Hyundai is envisioning,” Hyundai Motor President Seo Bo-shin said.

“The center is an exciting addition to Singapore’s growth mobility ecosystem,” said Tan Kong Hwee, assistant managing director of ECB.

In addition, the company will expand cooperation with universities, startups and research institutes in Singapore. It also plans to strengthen partnership with Grab, Southeast Asia’s No.1 ride-hailing service provider based in Singapore. The two companies have been providing ride-hailing services using electric cars in Singapore and Indonesia.

By Park Yun-gu and Choi Mira

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