Hyundai Motor and Kia are collaborating with India's top engineering universities to secure key technologies in the electric vehicle battery sector.
On the 23rd local time, Hyundai Motor and Kia announced that they had signed a contract for the joint establishment of the "Hyundai Center of Excellence for Future Mobility Technology" with three Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs).
The signing ceremony was attended by Hyundai Motor and Kia's R&D Head Yang Hee-won, Hyundai Motor's Vice President Kim Eon-soo, Hyundai Motor and Kia's Vice President Kim Chang-hwan, as well as Rangan Banerjee, the president of IIT Delhi, Manu Santhanam, the dean of IIT Madras, and Sachin C. Patwardhan, the dean of IIT Bombay.
IIT is a top-level engineering education institution established in 1951, operating 23 campuses across India and holding a global reputation through innovative technology research and excellent talent development. Last December, Hyundai Motor and Kia signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with India's top three universities, IIT Delhi, IIT Bombay, and IIT Madras, and with this contract, officially launched the "Hyundai Center of Excellence for Future Mobility Technology," which specializes in electrification technology research in India.
The Hyundai Center of Excellence will be jointly operated by Hyundai Motor and Kia and IIT faculty, developing practical academic-industrial cooperation through specialized organizations focused on batteries and electric vehicles. Vice President Kim Chang-hwan has been appointed as the co-chair of the operating committee, playing a pivotal role in enhancing the execution of global academic-industrial collaboration.
Hyundai Motor and Kia plan to conduct joint research on future mobility technologies, including batteries and electrification, through an investment of approximately 5 billion won over two years in the Hyundai Center of Excellence. The joint academic-industrial research projects consist of a total of nine cases across four areas, including battery cells and systems, Battery Management System (BMS), and battery testing.
Notable projects include the development of AI-based battery status diagnosis technology, the development of test profiles for battery pack designs for India's three-wheeled electric vehicles, the development of silicon anode materials for high-capacity lithium-ion batteries, and the development of slow charging systems considering India's local charging infrastructure.
Through joint research, Hyundai Motor and Kia aim to innovatively improve key performance metrics of electric vehicle batteries, such as energy density, lifespan, and safety, while securing effective technological solutions that can support the growth of the electric vehicle market in India. They will also operate a program to solicit creative ideas from IIT faculty to discover future technologies. Over the past 20 years, Hyundai Motor and Kia have conducted joint research by soliciting about 500 projects annually from academia, but this is the first time targeting overseas faculty.
With this cooperation with IIT, Hyundai Motor and Kia plan to further broaden their collaboration scope with the global academic community and early secure future technology ideas linked to mid- to long-term technology development. Furthermore, they plan to expand the Hyundai Center of Excellence, currently operated with three IITs, into a mobility expert network involving a total of 100 professors from 10 universities by the end of 2025, thereby establishing a foundation for academic-industrial cooperation across India.
Yang Hee-won, head of R&D at Hyundai Motor and Kia, noted, "Collaboration with outstanding talents leading the global industry is expected to be a significant strength for both Hyundai Motor and Kia as well as Indian society and economy," adding, "Based on the innovative ideas of advanced researchers, we will continue to uncover technologies specialized for the Indian market."
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