As Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang showed an interest in the Saemangeum Project Hyundai Motor Group is seeking to implement, the project has been highlighted again.
The group has come up with a plan to secure future growth engines by building an AI datacenter and a robot cluster in the Saemanguem area in Jeollabuk-do.
Business sources said on June 11 that Hyundai Motor Group plans to build an AI datacenter and a robot production and parts cluster, a water electrolysis plant, photovoltaic power facilities, and an AI hydrogen city by investing about 9 trillion won in the Saemangeum area covering 1,124,000 sq. meters.
As of last February, the business group struck an MOU on investing in the “Saemanguem Robot/Hydrogen Advanced Industry & AI Hydrogen City Project” with the government and the Jeollabuk-do Special Self-Governing Province.
The deal calls for establishing an ecosystem of a future industry combining AI, robotics and hydrogen energy.
Attracting attention were remarks made by Nvidia CEO Huang.
In a meeting with reporters at Hyundai Motor headquarters in Seocho-gu, Seoul, on June 8, CEO Huang said, “As Silicon Valley is in the United States, Korea is making an AI valley, and Korea has to build AI factories to produce robots in the future.”
CEO Huang said Chmn. Chung Eui-sun invited him to establish Nvidia’s R&D center at Saemangeum, and it was very logical for Nvidia to set up an R&D center here.
Huang did not disclose Nvidia’s investment plan related to the Saemanguem project, but he left open the possibility of Nvidia’s participation.
Core sectors of Hyundai Motor Group’s Saemangeum Project are an AI datacenter and a robot production and parts cluster.
Hyundai Motor Group intends to invest 5.8 trillion won to build an AI datacenter.
The business group plans to use the planned AI datacenter for the development of software defined vehicles, the operation of smart factories and for robot control by securing super-large compute capabilities equivalent to 50,000 GPUs on a gradual basis.
Hyundai Motor Group envisions a virtuous circulation system in which data sets from the whole value chain, such as manufacturing, logistics and marketing are utilized for AI learning, and these are applied again for the development of products.
Hyundai Motor Group plans to set aside 400 trillion won to build a robot production and parts cluster.
The business group aims to establish a robot production system cable of producing 30,000 robots annually and raise the competitiveness of the Korean robot supply chains by supporting automotive parts SMEs’ robot industry.
The business group plans to secure data and production capabilities necessary for realizing physical AI based on the AI datacenter and robot cluster.
Physical AI lets autonomous systems like robots, self-driving cars and industrial machineries perform in the physical world.
The government is accelerating its support to implement the Saemanguem Project.
It has set up a Saemangeum task force, led by the Prime Minister’s Office.
The team is responsible for providing a site, pursuing institutional reform, offering policy finance and building infrastructure.
A Hyundai Motor Group official said, “We will contribute to helping Korean an upper hand in a future industry based on the world’s top-rated manufacturing capabilities and innovation technologies.”
Nvidia CEO Huang met with major executives of Hyundai Motor Group, including Executive Chmn. Chung at Hyundai Motor Group headquarters in Seocho-gu, Seoul, on June 8.
Upon arriving earlier than scheduled, CEO Huang embraced Executive Chair Chung, and the pair exchanged greetings.
CEO Huang also exchanged greetings with President Park Min-woo of the Advanced Vehicle Platform for Hyundai Motor and Kia Motors, who once worked for Nvidia.
CEO Huang dined with Executive Chair Chung at a restaurant in Jongno-gu, Seoul, on the previous day.
He also looked around Hyundai Motor Group’s headquarters, where three robots – the irrigation robot, delivery robot DAL-e Delivery, and the security robot SPOT are in place.
As Executive Chair Chung talked about DAL-e Gardener, CEO Huang looked at it with great interest.
Hyundai Motor Group presented the past, the present and the future.
CEO Huang had a meeting with reporters following talks with Hyundai Motor Group Executive Chair Chung and shared ways of promoting the cooperation both sides discussed.
CEO Huang said, “Nvidia and Hyundai Motor Group have maintained an in-depth partnership, and the start of the cooperation is about self-driving vehicles, and our mobility partnership has ben expanded continuously.”
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