Hyundai Motor to launch contract departments at Jeonbuk National University for physical AI, robotics and hydrogen energy

Hyundai Motor is partnering with North Jeolla Province and Jeonbuk National University to develop local talent in future industries including physical AI, robotics and hydrogen energy. The initiative is tied to Hyundai Motor Group's planned 9 trillion won ($6.06 billion) Saemangeum AI Valley project, with the aim of building a skilled workforce and expanding a research base within the region.

Hyundai Motor announced Monday that it signed a memorandum of understanding with North Jeolla Province and Jeonbuk National University at the North Jeolla Provincial Government building, covering talent development and joint research cooperation linked to regional growth engines. The signing ceremony was attended by North Jeolla Province Governor Lee Won-taek, Jeonbuk National University President Yang O-bong and Hyundai Motor Group RH (Robotics and Hydrogen) PMO (Project Management Office) Executive Vice President Shin Seung-gyu, along with other key officials.

The core of the agreement is locally rooted talent development in advanced industries and industry-academia joint research. Hyundai Motor will work with Jeonbuk National University to establish contract departments covering physical AI, robotics and hydrogen energy, and to identify education and research projects that meet the needs of the industrial field.

The global automotive industry is rapidly moving beyond electrification toward manufacturing innovation that integrates AI, robotics and energy infrastructure. There is growing recognition that for large-scale investment to translate into a genuine regional industrial ecosystem, companies must secure not only production facilities but also specialized talent and research capabilities.

Under the agreement, Hyundai Motor will identify industry needs and provide curriculum advisory support, industry expert participation and joint research cooperation. North Jeolla Province will handle administrative and fiscal support, while Jeonbuk National University will serve as the lead institution for education and research, developing curricula and operating a technology cooperation forum.

The contract departments will incorporate the competencies required in actual industrial settings into university education. Jeonbuk National University will establish the operational framework — covering the academic system, curriculum and student selection — while Hyundai Motor will advise on a curriculum that reflects real-world demand and cooperate on practical training.

Hyundai Motor is also considering having its employees and field specialists participate as visiting professors, guest lecturers and project mentors. The goal is to ensure students are exposed not only to technical knowledge in the classroom but also to the evolving dynamics of industry and the flow of real projects.

The timing of the contract department launch, the detailed curriculum and whether graduates will be linked to employment opportunities — and at what scale — will be determined through further consultations.

Joint research will also be pursued. The three parties plan to run a technology cooperation forum bringing together industry and university researchers to identify research projects. Hyundai Motor will lead on identifying industry-driven research topics, setting research directions and securing expert participation, while Jeonbuk National University will provide research space, personnel and connections to its internal research organizations.

Initial joint research will focus on pilot projects addressing industry needs. Areas that show results may later be expanded into larger collaborative structures such as convergence research institutes or advanced research centers.

The three parties plan to develop the collaboration into an action-oriented industry-academia model that carries joint research results through to industrial application, technology exchange, technology transfer and commercialization. The aim is to move beyond a simple MOU and generate tangible business outcomes and local employment.

The agreement is also tied to Hyundai Motor Group's Saemangeum AI Valley investment. The group is developing the Saemangeum area in North Jeolla Province with around 9 trillion won earmarked for an AI data center, a robotics manufacturing cluster, a water electrolysis plant, solar power generation and an AI hydrogen city.

Hyundai Motor Group signed a related MOU in February and has been proceeding with the investment on schedule. The AI data center is targeted to break ground in 2027 and be completed in 2029. The water electrolysis plant and solar power facility are also set to begin construction in 2027, with a first phase targeted for completion in 2029. The robotics manufacturing cluster is planned to start construction in 2028, with first-phase mass production beginning in 2029.

Hyundai Motor sees the need for a matching talent base and research foundation as the Saemangeum industrial ecosystem — combining AI, robotics and hydrogen energy — takes shape. The company expects the agreement to help create a virtuous cycle linking corporate investment, local talent development and regional retention.

"Securing leadership in advanced industries requires cooperation not only from companies but also from universities that nurture outstanding talent and from the communities that support them," a Hyundai Motor official said. "We will actively support the outstanding local talent developed through this collaboration so they can grow into key players driving our future business."