Hyundai Motor Company is collaborating with Jeonbuk Special Self-Governing Province and Jeonbuk National University to establish a contract department aimed at training professionals in physical AI, robotics, and hydrogen energy.
This initiative is part of a larger effort to secure key talent locally for the 9 trillion won Saemangeum AI Valley project and to expand joint research in future industries.
On July 20, Hyundai Motor signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) at the Jeonbuk Provincial Office with Jeonbuk Special Self-Governing Province and Jeonbuk National University. The signing ceremony was attended by Jeonbuk Governor Lee Won-taek, Jeonbuk National University President Yang O-bong, and Shin Seung-kyu, Vice President of Hyundai Motor Group's RH PMO.
The agreement focuses on establishing contract departments at Jeonbuk National University in fields such as physical AI, robotics, and hydrogen energy. The three institutions plan to develop curricula that reflect industry needs to train professionals equipped for the field. The specifics regarding the hiring of students who successfully complete the contract department curriculum will be determined through future discussions.
A Hyundai official stated, "Although we are still in the early stages of the project, the significance lies in prioritizing local talent in connection with the Saemangeum AI Valley."
According to the MOU, Hyundai will support the curriculum development, practical training, and joint research for the contract department at Jeonbuk National University. Employees will participate as guest professors, special lecturers, and project mentors. Jeonbuk Special Self-Governing Province will provide administrative and financial support, while Jeonbuk National University will handle the operation of the contract department, curriculum development, and technology cooperation forums.
The establishment of this contract department is seen as a strategic move to cultivate the talent needed for the Saemangeum AI Valley locally. Similar to how SK Hynix supported the establishment of a semiconductor high school in Cheongju while expanding its semiconductor plant, Hyundai aims to create a collaborative structure involving industry, academia, and research based on local talent.
Hyundai Motor Group is investing approximately 9 trillion won in Saemangeum to build an AI data center, a robotics manufacturing cluster, an electrolysis plant, solar power facilities, and an AI hydrogen city. Construction of the AI data center is set to begin next year, with a target completion date of 2029. The electrolysis plant and solar power facilities are also scheduled to start construction in the same year, aiming for the first phase of completion by 2029. The robotics manufacturing cluster is expected to begin construction in 2028, with mass production starting in 2029.
Hyundai plans to establish a sustainable education and research system that continuously produces skilled professionals in the region, contributing to the long-term development of a high-tech industrial ecosystem in Jeonbuk.
A Hyundai official remarked, "To secure competitiveness in advanced industries, collaboration between companies, universities, and local communities is essential. We will actively support the local talent nurtured through this collaboration to grow into key figures in future business."
* This article has been translated by AI.
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