Hyundai Motor Group Chair Chung Eui-sun picked Robotics and artificial intelligence (AI) as the core pillars of future growth. He also reaffirmed a plan to invest $26 billion (about 38 trillion won) in the United States by 2028.
On the 12th (local time), in a written interview with Semafor, Chung said, "Robotics and physical AI are key elements in Hyundai Motor Group's evolution beyond mobility," adding, "We aim to realize this vision through robots that collaborate with humans."
Semafor is a media startup co-founded in 2022 by Justin Smith, former Bloomberg CEO, and Ben Smith, former editor-in-chief of BuzzFeed. It hosts an annual business forum in the United States, the World Economy Summit (WES), which mainly brings together global business leaders. Chung serves as an advisor to WES.
Chung also reiterated that by 2028, Boston Dynamics' Humanoid Robot "Atlas" will be deployed in production processes. At CES in January, Hyundai Motor Group said it would produce up to 30,000 units of Atlas annually by 2030 and announced this plan.
Regarding this, Chung said, "This human-centered approach is for customers," adding, "As customer needs change, Robotics and AI will play an increasingly important role in manufacturing innovation and delivering top-quality products," and, "By linking innovation to real-world application, Hyundai Motor Group is building a foundation where humans, robots and AI collaborate to enhance productivity and quality."
Chung saw that the group can grow by expanding investment in the key U.S. market. He said, "For Hyundai Motor Group, the United States is a core foundation for long-term resilience and sustainable growth," adding, "We will invest a total of $26 billion (38 trillion won) by 2028 to strengthen our base for long-term growth."
He added, "Since entering the United States more than 40 years ago, Hyundai Motor Group has invested $20.5 billion," and "We are strengthening this strategy through software-based manufacturing innovation at Hyundai Motor Group Metaplant America (HMGMA)."
Chung also said that as geopolitical uncertainty intensifies due to recent conflicts such as the United States and Iran's war, the company will respond with a strategy of pursuing global expansion and localization at the same time.
He said, "The global market has become increasingly fragmented, with customers, regulations and supply chains divided by region," adding, "We are responding based on flexibility and resilience," and, "(To overcome this) we are combining global expansion with regional agility." The goal is to build differentiated competitiveness in each region to respond flexibly to change.
He also showed determination for the hydrogen business. Chung said, "As energy demand surges with the expansion of AI infrastructure and data centers, hydrogen can be an important alternative," adding, "We are focusing on building a hydrogen ecosystem that covers production, storage, transportation and utilization." Hyundai Motor Group is building the entire value chain around its hydrogen business brand "HTWO."