Hyundai Motor Group, ahead of mass-producing the Humanoid Robot "Atlas" and deploying it on production lines, created a Software-Defined Factory (SDF) unit and a dedicated organization for robot parts. It also set up a team to respond to shifts in the global trade environment, including U.S. tariff moves and instability in the Middle East.
On the 25th, industry sources said Hyundai Motor Group recently created the position of "head of SDF initiatives" and appointed Executive Director Alpesh Patel. SDF refers to a factory where artificial intelligence (AI) integrates and controls the entire plant—production, quality, and logistics—as a single piece of software.
Patel, formerly of global consulting firm McKinsey & Company, joined Hyundai Motor Group in 2023. He then served as chief innovation officer (CIO) at the Singapore Global Innovation Center (HMGICS). He is expected to be tasked with rolling out the SDF strategy, validated at HMGICS, across global production plants. He is also set to serve as a control tower overseeing Atlas's field deployment.
Hyundai Motor Group plans to build capacity to produce 30,000 robots a year by 2028 and to deploy more than 25,000 units at Hyundai Motor and Kia production sites. Starting in 2028, Atlas will first be assigned to sequencing work for parts sorting at the HMGMA plant in Georgia, and from 2030 will take on parts assembly, expanding its scope in stages. Going forward, SDF technology will be rolled out to new hubs, including the Pune plant in India and the dedicated electric-vehicle plant in Ulsan.
Hyundai Motor Group also launched a "Robotics parts procurement office." Soh Hyun-seong, former head of strategic planning at Beijing Hyundai (executive director), was appointed Deputy Minister. With Boston Dynamics moving into Atlas mass production, the move is seen as a group-level step to support parts sourcing and strengthen cost competitiveness. Soh will efficiently procure parts from external robot component suppliers and also support parts transactions among group affiliates.
Earlier, Boston Dynamics was said to have asked Hyundai Mobis to mass-produce six key components for Atlas, including actuators (drive units), grippers (robot hands), and head modules. Hyundai Motor Group plans to decide whether to produce these parts in-house after comprehensively considering projected output and profitability. Some in the industry note that, given Soh's experience in the Chinese market at Beijing Hyundai, the group may explore using Chinese-made parts to cut costs and diversify the supply chain.
Meanwhile, under the GPO (Global Policy Office), which handles overseas government affairs, Hyundai Motor Group created a "global trade strategy office" dedicated to diplomacy, trade, and tariff matters, appointing Executive Director Jang Jae-ryang, formerly of the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Resources, as Deputy Minister. The move is seen as a response to changes in the global trade environment, including U.S. tariff policy and instability in the Middle East. Hyundai Motor and Kia last year incurred 7.2 trillion won in expenses due to U.S. tariffs, with their combined operating profit down 23.6% from a year earlier.