[CES2022] Hyundai Motor to Establish World-Class Metafactory by the End of This Year

Site of 44,000㎡ and total floor area of 90,000㎡ realized in Singapore HMGICS metaverse
Optimized factory operation rate estimation possible without actual factory trial operation

[Asia Economy Reporter Ki-min Lee] Hyundai Motor Company is set to establish a world-class metaverse-based digital virtual factory by the end of this year, coinciding with the completion of the 'Hyundai Motor Group Singapore Global Innovation Center (HMGICS)'.

By creating a Meta Factory that transfers the smart factory from the real world directly into the virtual world, Hyundai aims to advance factory operations and accelerate manufacturing innovation, realizing Chairman Chung Eui-sun's vision of transforming into a smart mobility solutions company.

On the 6th (local time), at CES 2022, the world's largest consumer electronics and IT exhibition held at the Las Vegas Convention Center in the United States, Hyundai announced that it had signed a 'strategic partnership for building a future metaverse platform and establishing a roadmap' with Unity, a global metaverse environment construction and real-time 3D content development and operation platform company.

Earlier, at the CES 2022 press conference held on the 4th, Hyundai Motor Chairman Chung Eui-sun revealed plans to apply the metaverse not only to mobility but also to factories to enhance productivity and efficiency.

Hyundai plans to build the first Meta Factory that faithfully replicates HMGICS, which is being constructed in the Jurong Innovation District in Singapore with a site area of 44,000㎡, a total floor area of 90,000㎡, and seven above-ground floors, by the end of this year.

The HMGICS Meta Factory will serve as an open innovation base and smart factory that researches and validates the entire automotive lifecycle value chain, including vehicle ordering, production, and delivery. It will support the operation of HMGICS, a small-scale production innovation technology hub, and play a role in supporting manufacturing system innovation. The first phase of the HMGICS Meta Factory is scheduled for introduction by the end of this year, with full completion by 2025.

Through this MOU, Hyundai will set the direction for building the Meta Factory and identify manufacturing site challenges that can be improved using metaverse technology. Unity will provide roles such as Meta Factory design, real-time image rendering technology, and support for customized system development.

Hyundai expects that the introduction of the Meta Factory will enable more advanced operation of actual factories, including HMGICS, in the future. For example, in factories preparing for mass production of new vehicles, operating the Meta Factory can calculate optimized factory utilization rates without pilot operation of the real-world factory. Additionally, since the Meta Factory replicates the real factory in real time, any issues arising in the factory can be quickly identified and resolved in real time without physical visits.

Starting with this MOU, Hyundai and Unity plan to explore ways to expand the application of metaverse technology beyond production bases to various business areas.

Jiyoung Jo, Head of Innovation at Hyundai Motor Group, stated, "Through this collaboration to build a world-class Meta Factory, HMGICS will become a 'game changer' in the field of manufacturing innovation. HMGICS, which promotes human-centered value chain innovation for the mobility paradigm shift, will continue to lead future innovation by adopting various new technologies."

John Riccitiello, CEO of Unity, said, "Real-time digital twins are expected to completely transform our overall lifestyle while having a positive impact on the world, and this is the core element of the 'metaverse.' Hyundai's future vision, including the Meta Factory, will lead to technological advances that drive innovation in manufacturing, maximizing efficiency."

Meanwhile, Hyundai plans to strengthen partnerships and cooperation with companies possessing top-tier global technological capabilities, including Microsoft (MS), to continuously develop innovative technologies such as smart factories and Meta Factories.