HYUNDAI WIA stressed it would strengthen its competitiveness by naming robots and automotive thermal management as its two main growth pillars.
HYUNDAI WIA on the 7th (local time) unveiled the new growth strategy at a press conference during the CES 2026, the world's largest IT exhibition, in Las Vegas.
First, HYUNDAI WIA said it plans to actively foster its robot business in line with Hyundai Motor Group's companywide Artificial Intelligence (AI) Robotics strategy. At this CES, HYUNDAI WIA introduced its manufacturing and logistics robot brand "H-Motion" and exhibited Autonomous Driving logistics robots (AMR), parking robots, and collaborative robots.
Baek Ik-jin, executive director of HYUNDAI WIA's Mobility Solutions Division, said, "We are developing a structure in which logistics robots and collaborative robots work together," adding, "Through this, we plan to contribute to the group's 'dark factory' strategy." A dark factory refers to a plant where robots, instead of people, are deployed in production processes.
Baek noted, "Recently, Chinese robot companies have achieved strong price competitiveness based on mass production," and emphasized, "We are differentiating ourselves with a strategy of providing integrated solutions, not just selling robots."
Baek said, "Last year, robot-related sales were around 250 billion won, and we are targeting more than 400 billion won in 2028," adding, "We will sequentially launch unmanned forklifts and MPR (mobile picking robots)." Baek also added, "By 2030, we will maintain a 50-to-50 split in sales between group affiliates and external customers."
Another growth engine HYUNDAI WIA cited is automotive thermal management. At this CES, three new products were unveiled: the integrated thermal management module (ITMS), a cooling module, and a slim HVAC (heating, ventilation and air conditioning).
The ITMS is a product that enables a vehicle to flexibly manage heat across seven modes, including battery and motor cooling and cabin heating and cooling. HYUNDAI WIA reduced the number of parts in this product by 30%, improving space efficiency by 15%. The cooling module is 20% thinner than the existing module and 7% lighter. The slim HVAC reduces height by more than 30%, improving energy efficiency.
Kim Nam-young, senior executive managing director of HYUNDAI WIA's TMS Division, said, "Thermal management is becoming a core technology that determines a vehicle's competitiveness," adding, "Our goal is to grow into a global leader that provides integrated thermal energy solutions beyond mobility."