Samsung Electronics is hosting an event inviting key executives and their spouses from Hyundai Motor Group. This marks the first large-scale executive exchange event between Samsung Electronics and Hyundai. As areas of cooperation have expanded from batteries and automotive semiconductors to software and robotics, the event aims for executives to meet in person to strengthen relationships.
According to industry sources on the 8th, Samsung Electronics will host an event on the afternoon of the 9th at 'The Universe,' a training center in Yongin, Gyeonggi Province, inviting key executives from Hyundai and Kia along with their spouses. The event will be presided over by Samsung Electronics Vice Chairman Jeon Young-hyun and Hyundai Motor Group Vice Chairman Jang Jae-hoon, with approximately 170 attendees including presidents of affiliated companies from both groups. The schedule includes watching a performance followed by a dinner together.
From the Samsung side, it is known that Vice Chairman Jeon, Samsung Electronics CEO Roh Tae-moon, Samsung SDI CEO Choi Joo-sun, Samsung Electro-Mechanics CEO Jang Deok-hyun, and Samsung Display CEO Lee Cheong are expected to attend. From the Hyundai Motor Group side, Vice Chairman Jang, Hyundai Motor President Jose Munoz, and Hyundai/Kia R&D Division President Manfred Harrer will be present.
It is reported that Samsung Electronics initially proposed the event. While Samsung Electronics has held exchange events with various partners, this is the first time it has arranged a dedicated gathering for Hyundai Motor Group within South Korea. The focus of this event was on building camaraderie between the executives of both sides.
Previously, executives from the two groups have visited each other's business sites. In May 2020, then-Hyundai Motor Group Senior Vice Chairman Chung Eui-sun visited Samsung SDI's Cheonan plant to discuss electric vehicle battery technology with then-Samsung Electronics Vice Chairman Lee Jae-yong, and two months later, Vice Chairman Lee reciprocated the visit at Hyundai's Namyang Research Institute.
As electrification and software transition in the automotive industry accelerate, cooperation between the two sides is expanding. Samsung SDI supplied prismatic batteries to Hyundai's Ioniq 3 and Kia's EV2 this year. It also supplied batteries for the GV90, Genesis' top-tier electric SUV (Sport Utility Vehicle). This marks the first instance of a Genesis vehicle being equipped with Samsung SDI batteries. Samsung Electronics' foundry division is known to have secured production volume for autonomous driving chips designed in-house by Hyundai last year.
In the software sector, collaboration is expanding through services connecting vehicles and home appliances. Last September, Samsung Electronics and Hyundai/Kia unveiled a 'Home-to-Car' service that allows remote control of vehicles via Samsung Electronics' Internet of Things (IoT) platform, 'SmartThings.' In March this year, they launched a 'Car-to-Home' service enabling users to operate air conditioners and robot vacuums inside their homes from the vehicle's screen. Harman, a subsidiary of Samsung Electronics, is also exploring cooperation with Hyundai in the 'Digital Cockpit' field, which integrates and displays driver biometric signals and vehicle information.
Robotics is another area where both sides have launched cooperation. Last February, Samsung SDI and Hyundai/Kia signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to jointly develop batteries exclusively for robots. Industry observers suggest the possibility that Samsung SDI may supply batteries to Boston Dynamics' humanoid robot 'Atlas,' which is under Hyundai Motor Group. There are also predictions that Samsung Electro-Mechanics could supply cameras and multilayer ceramic capacitors (MLCCs).
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