Mobility infrastructure corporations Humax Mobility said on the 3rd that it joined an industry-academia-research collaboration to promote the sustainable development of the taxi industry in response to changes in the Autonomous Driving environment.
On the 2nd, Humax Mobility signed a "business agreement for converting corporate taxis to Autonomous Driving" with the Korea National Joint Conference of Taxi Association, the Korean Society of Transportation, Hyundai Motor, Kakao Mobility, Autonomous a2z, and Samsung Fire & Marine Insurance.
The agreement was prepared to enhance the competitiveness of the taxi industry amid the rapidly changing Autonomous Driving technology environment. The participating institutions agreed to cooperate across institutional improvement and research and development with the goal of creating an Autonomous Driving taxi ecosystem that maintains the taxi license system based on domestic technology and infrastructure. This collaboration, which brings together the taxi industry, academia, automakers, platforms, Autonomous Driving technology corporations, insurers, and infrastructure operators, is considered the largest industry-academia-research cooperation for Autonomous Driving taxis in Korea.
Through the agreement, Humax Mobility will support urban hub infrastructure for the stable operation of Autonomous Driving taxis. Based on the company's capabilities in mobility-related businesses such as parking, electric-vehicle charging, vehicle management, car sharing, taxis, and designated driving, it plans to cooperate in creating integrated hubs where unmanned vehicles can charge, wait, and undergo maintenance. Through this, the company aims to help build an environment in which Autonomous Driving taxis can operate stably 24 hours a day in urban areas.
The participating institutions will pursue comprehensive cooperation in four areas: collaboration on Autonomous Driving taxi pilot projects, response to industrial transition, research cooperation, and the formation and operation of a consultative body.
Chief Executive Jeong Seong-min of Humax Mobility said, "This agreement is meaningful in that it goes beyond the simple introduction of technology to create an ecosystem in which the existing taxi industry and Autonomous Driving technology can coexist," and added, "Humax Mobility will actively cooperate in creating an Autonomous Driving taxi ecosystem based on its accumulated experience in operating urban infrastructure."