Hyundai Mobis will team up with about 20 domestic corporations and research institutes to cooperate on automotive semiconductors. This is the first time the private sector has taken the lead in a joint response to the automotive semiconductor industry.
On the 29th, Hyundai Mobis held the "1st Hyundai Mobis Automotive Semiconductor Forum" (Auto Semicon Korea, ASK) at the DoubleTree by Hilton Seoul Pangyo hotel in Seongnam, Gyeonggi.
The forum brought together 23 corporations and research institutes, including domestic finished carmakers, fabless firms, foundries, design houses, packaging companies, and design tool specialists. They included Samsung Electronics, LX Semicon, SK keyfoundry, DB HiTek, Global Technology, Dongwoon Anatech, and the Korea Electrotechnology Research Institute (KERI).
Hyundai Mobis President Lee Gyu-seok said, "We are jointly developing 10 or so types with domestic semiconductor corporations," adding, "Some of these will be applied to mass production as early as next year, and the goal is to turn more than 10 types into actual results within two to three years." Hyundai Motor Group plans to raise the localization rate of automotive semiconductors, currently under 5%, to 10% by 2030.
Lee said, "Korea's automobile industry has global competitiveness, but most automotive semiconductors are barely localized, leaving us reliant on overseas sources," adding, "Because semiconductors are a cyclical industry, a supply crunch like 2021–2023 could happen again. Fundamental countermeasures are needed."
He added, "While securing independent semiconductor design capabilities, we will promote joint development with fabless firms and design houses and expand cooperation with major foundry companies," noting, "We also plan to actively encourage new entries by corporations specialized in IT or mobile."
The automotive semiconductor market is expected to grow at an average annual rate of 9% to reach $138 billion (about 200 trillion won) by 2030. However, last year, only five domestic corporations were among the world's top 100 automotive semiconductor companies, with a market share of just 3% to 4%. Most of the sector was limited to automotive memory semiconductors.