Hyundai Motor Group is accelerating its AI data center project in Korea — a key driver for its physical AI capabilities — with the HMG Saemangeum Office in Gunsan, North Jeolla Province, set to spearhead the initiative.
The company said Friday it held a signboard unveiling ceremony for the Saemangeum office, attended by key figures, including Shin Seung-kyu, vice president of Hyundai Motor Group' Robotics and Hydrogen Project Management Office, Gunsan Mayor Kim Jae-jun and Saemangeum Development and Investment Agency Director Moon Seong-yo.
The AI data center office houses two special purpose companies jointly invested by Hyundai affiliates — including Hyundai Motor, Kia, Hyundai Mobis, Hyundai Engineering & Construction and Hyundai Autoever — which finalized their participation in the project earlier in the day.
The operations will be divided into two entities: a data center company for hyperscale construction and infrastructure development and a GPU service company to handle high-performance computing and cloud services tailored for Physical and advanced automotive R&D.
By separating infrastructure construction from computing and software operations, the group aims to speed up project execution. Groundbreaking is scheduled for March, with operations expected to begin in early 2030.
Building on last month’s establishment of a 200-megawatt solar power special purpose company to supply clean energy for the data center, the group will officially launch these three SPCs in November.
The AI data center project is part of Hyundai’s 9 trillion won ($6.72 billion) Saemangeum AI Valley initiative that integrates renewable energy, AI data centers, robotics and hydrogen industries — representing its strategic shift from a legacy automaker into a tech company.
Over half of the total investment — 5.8 trillion won — is allocated to the hyperscale AI data center to build a massive computing infrastructure to accelerate the in-house technology development across autonomous driving, robotics, manufacturing AI and R&D.
Operating 24 hours a day, the facility will function as a supercomputing hub to train and validate end-to-end autonomous driving algorithms using extensive real-world driving data alongside simulated data for extreme weather and unexpected road conditions.
For robotics, complex behavioral models will be intensively trained within a digital twin environment, improving spatial perception, decision-making, flexible response mechanisms and joint-control precision for mobile and service robotics.
Furthermore, high-performance AI will streamline vehicle R&D — from initial design concepts to virtual crash testing, aerodynamic analysis and thermal management — reducing repetitive manual tasks and boosting overall development quality and efficiency.
To secure strong infrastructure and massive cloud integration, Hyundai is actively discussing technical partnerships with global enterprises, including Nvidia, while coordinating financing through state-run institutions like the Korea Development Bank.
Shin underscored that the HMG Saemangeun Office demonstrated the group’s commitment to driving the AI data center project.
hyejin2@heraldcorp.com
