President Yoon Suk Yeol (center right) and Hyundai Motor Executive Chair Chung Euisun visit the production facility of Hyundai Motor Group Innovation Center Singapore in Singapore's Jurong Innovation District on Tuesday. (Yonhap)

Hyundai Motor Group said Wednesday it will boost its partnership with Singapore, home to the carmaker’s highly automated production base and key research hub, focusing on areas ranging from advanced and sustainable energy to manufacturing solutions.

The company signed a memorandum of understanding with Malaysia’s Nanyang Technological University earlier in the day during the Singapore-Korea Business Forum. The signing ceremony was attended by: Chang Jae-hoon, president and CEO of Hyundai Motor Company; Yoon Young-joon, president and CEO of Hyundai Engineering & Construction; professor Lam Khin Yong, vice president of Nanyang Technological University (NTU); Ahn Duk-geun, Korea's minister of trade, industry and energy; Tan See Leng, Singapore's minister for manpower and second minister for trade and industry, and other executives and officials.

One of the key areas of joint research is hydrogen production in Singapore using Hyundai Motor’s plastic-to-hydrogen (P2H) and waste-to-hydrogen (W2H) systems. W2H converts organic waste, such as food and sewage sludge, into hydrogen, while P2H utilizes non-recyclable plastic. These systems can power hydrogen fuel cell vehicles and help Singapore build an eco-friendly mobility ecosystem, according to the company.

The Singapore government has pledged to reduce its reliance on natural gas for power generation, aiming to decrease it from 94 percent to less than 50 percent by 2035.

In advanced energy system research, the Hyundai Motor Group Innovation Center in Singapore (HMGICS), the carmaker’s global research and development center, signed another partnership agreement with the NTU and Singapore’s state-run Agency for Science, Technology and Research. The three parties will set up the Corporate Lab to advance car manufacturing technologies powered by artificial intelligence and robotics.

Located in the Jurong Innovation District, the HMGICS was completed in November last year and has since begun research and development projects as well as the mass production of its flagship electric sedan, the Ioniq 6.

“We are grateful to be the first Korean company to establish a three-party research center with the (Singaporean) government and a university,” stated Park Hyun-sung, vice president and CEO of HMGICS. “In innovative manufacturing, we aim to contribute to developing sustainable future mobility solutions by working with Singapore’s (tech) talents.”

Hyundai Motor Executive Chair Chung Euisun, who accompanied South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol on the Singapore-Korea Business Forum, stressed in his welcome remarks that HMGICS serves as an ideal example of collaboration combining Korea’s innovative manufacturing technology with Singapore’s conducive business environment.

“As we approach the major milestone of the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Korea and Singapore, the two countries have strengthened cooperation across various sectors, including manufacturing, construction, information and communications technology and aerospace,” said Chung. “Now, we are exploring new opportunities centered on digitalization and future energy.”

Chung added that Korea’s ultra-fast data transfer and semiconductor technology could help Singapore advance its digital economy while the two countries pursue net-zero targets through partnerships in hydrogen and green energy.