Subscribe
E-Paper
 |
| Sonny Perdue, chancellor of the University System of Georgia, standing on the left side, poses with Hyundai Motor Group Chairman Chung Eui-sun, standing on the right, after Hyundai signed a memorandum of understanding with Georgia Institute of Technology in Atlanta, Georgia, Tuesday. Courtesy of Hyundai Motor Group |
By Lee Min-hyung
Hyundai Motor Group has clinched a partnership with Georgia Institute of Technology for joint research in future mobility areas encompassing batteries and hydrogen economy, the Korean automaker said Wednesday.
The partnership builds upon the group's long history in the U.S. state. Under the leadership of the group's Honorary Chairman Chung Mong-koo, Kia Georgia's West Point assembly plant began vehicle production in 2009. Kia is an affiliate of Hyundai.
Hyundai is also expanding its investment in Georgia by investing $12.6 billion (16.7 trillion won) in electric vehicle (EV) and battery manufacturing facilities there. The investment includes the $7.59 billion Hyundai Motor Group Metaplant America site in Bryan County, Georgia, and the $5 billion battery manufacturing facility joint venture with SK on in Bartow County. The former will help create more than 8,500 direct jobs and the latter around 3,500.
Hyundai's latest partnership with the institute will help the group engage in more advanced tech research in key mobility areas. Both sides will hold diverse joint projects in such aforementioned future-oriented mobility sectors as well as software.
"Georgia is like a second home to us," Hyundai Motor Company CEO Jay Chang said. "We are a mission-driven organization with a very compelling point of view about the future. We are thrilled to create a partnership with Georgia Tech that includes research and applications to support the future of sustainable mobility, hydrogen economy, workforce development and smart cities, among many other areas of cooperation."
Georgia Tech also welcomed the recent partnership with Korea's leading automaker.
"Like Georgia Tech, Hyundai is a global brand that is synonymous with quality, innovation and a commitment to advancing technology to make a positive difference in the world," Georgia Tech President Angel Cabrera said. "I am grateful for the transformative investments Hyundai is making in our state, and I am proud that the Hyundai brand will feature prominently on our campus. I look forward to working with Hyundai leaders to deepen our partnership as we work to develop exceptional leaders and produce new ideas that will shape the automotive industry and advance mobility in the future."
According to a study by the Center for Automotive Research, Hyundai Motor's automotive operations contributed $20.1 billion and 190,000 jobs to the U.S. economy in 2021 alone.
