Hyundai Motor and Kia have teamed up with Seoul National University to implement a smart factory.

The E-FOREST center of Hyundai Motor and Kia's Manufacturing Solutions Headquarters announced on the 16th that it has signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Seoul National University's Precision Mechanical Design Joint Research Institute to implement a "software defined factory (SDF)."

(From left) Professor Park Yong-rae, Deputy Director of the Precision Mechanical Design Research Institute at Seoul National University, Professor Jo Gyu-jin from the Department of Mechanical Engineering, Professor Ahn Seong-hoon, Director of the Precision Mechanical Research Institute, Executive Director Lee Jae-min, Head of the E-Forest Center at Hyundai Motor and Kia, Executive Director Choi Young-tae from the Manufacturing SI Technology Development Office, and Executive Director Min Jung-guk from the Manufacturing SW Development Office. /Courtesy of Hyundai Motor and Kia

E-FOREST is the smart factory brand of Hyundai Motor and Kia. It was created with the goal of revolutionizing manufacturing systems through the introduction of automation technology utilizing artificial intelligence (AI) and robotics, along with human-friendly smart technologies, and enhancing the entire mobility industry.

With this collaboration, Hyundai Motor, Kia, and Seoul National University will conduct joint research and development of core technologies. Specific areas of cooperation include ▲Manufacturing AI ▲Large Language Model (LLM) specialized for manufacturing ▲Predictive Health Monitoring (PHM) ▲Digital Twin, among others.

Lee Jae-min, executive director of the E-FOREST center at Hyundai Motor and Kia, noted, "We expect that through cooperation with Seoul National University, we can strengthen our core technological competitiveness for implementing smart factories and accelerate global manufacturing innovation."