Hyundai partners with Singapore's NTU for energy, AI research

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Hyundai partners with Singapore's NTU for energy, AI research

Published: 09 Oct. 2024, 15:40

SARAH CHEA
chea.sarah@joongang.co.kr

Hyundai Motor executives and Nanyang Technological University (NTU) officials including Hyundai CEO Chang Jae-hoon, second from left, Industry Minister Ahn Duk-geun, third from left, and Professor Lam Khin Yong, Vice President of NTU, fifth from left, take a photo after signing an agreement on joint research in Singapore on Tuesday. [HYUNDAI MOTOR]

From hydrogen production to AI and robotics, Hyundai Motor Group is deepening its partnership with Singapore for advanced research on energy transition and manufacturing technologies.

Hyundai said Wednesday it inked a memorandum of understanding with Nanyang Technological University (NTU) to launch collaborative research on expanding renewable energies like hydrogen production and hydrogen-powered vehicles. NTU is a research-centered university ranking 15th in Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) World University Rankings for 2024.

The duo will jointly develop the so-called resource-circulation hydrogen production technologies, in which food waste and plastic are used to produce hydrogen in eco-friendly ways. Hyundai is planning to produce 500 kilograms (1,102 pounds) of hydrogen through that process in its plant in Cheongju, North Chungcheong.

Hyundai believes the latest partnership will help the automaker "secure young talented engineers in NTU," while Singapore can seek for "a breakthrough in renewable energy while it is facing various challenges in achieving carbon neutrality."

Due to its limited natural resources, Singapore heavily relies on natural gas which accounts for 95 percent of its power generation. It set a goal of reducing that to 50 percent by 2035.

Singapore is the latest research hub for Hyundai after it opened a Hyundai Motor Group Innovation Center (HMGICS) in Singapore last year, the first such center for the company covering the full process from research to delivery.

On Tuesday, Hyundai also signed an agreement with NTU and Singapore's state-run Agency for Science, Technology and Research to jointly set up a research lab to develop AI and robotics for the manufacturing sector.

The Singaporean government will be funding the research, Hyundai said.

“HMGICS is a global hub for Hyundai Motor Group’s future mobility innovation,” said Park Hyun-sung, CEO of Hyundai Motor Group Innovation Center Singapore. "Through this partnership, we aim to accelerate our research in the field of innovative technologies, ultimately enhancing the commercial viability of our sustainable mobility solutions.”

BY SARAH CHEA [chea.sarah@joongang.co.kr]