Kakao Mobility announced on the 27th that it has signed a 'Business Agreement for Technical Cooperation in the Mobility Platform Sector' with Phenikaa Group in Hanoi, Vietnam. Attendees included Ho Xuan Nang, Chairman of Phenikaa Group; Le Anh Son, CEO of Phenikaa-X; Le Yen Thanh, CEO of Phenikaa Mars; and Bich Nguyen, Chief Strategy Officer of Phenikaa Mars.
Phenikaa Group operates various businesses including manufacturing, technology, education, research and development, and trade. Recently, it has been expanding its business areas into technology and IT sectors through investments. In particular, it is accelerating the development of smart mobility technologies centered on its autonomous driving and robotics subsidiary 'Phenikaa-X' and 'Phenikaa Mars,' which operates Vietnam's leading public transportation platform 'BusMap.'
From the left, Ryoo Geung-seon, CEO of Kakao Mobility, and Le An Sen, CEO of Fenica-X [Photo by Kakao Mobility]
Kakao Mobility and Phenikaa Group will first seek cooperation in the 'Mobility as a Service (MaaS)' sector, where both companies have strengths. They plan to share Kakao Mobility's platform-building experience and successful strategies and support Phenikaa Mars in achieving its goal of evolving into a leading MaaS platform company in the Southeast Asian region.
They will also conduct joint research in future mobility fields where Phenikaa-X holds core competencies, such as autonomous driving via vehicles and drones, high-precision map construction, and artificial intelligence (AI) technologies. Phenikaa-X is a startup company established under the Phenikaa University laboratory operated by Phenikaa Group. In 2021, it introduced Vietnam's first autonomous vehicle and was recognized for Level 4 autonomous driving technology.
The two companies will actively explore ways to expand overseas into neighboring Southeast Asian countries and improve the convenience of transportation for visitors traveling between the two countries. They are expected to discuss various ideas that can contribute to revitalizing the tourism industries of both countries, such as integrating the BusMap app operated by Phenikaa Mars into the Kakao T platform.
Ryu Geung-seon, CEO of Kakao Mobility, said, "Since both companies are focusing on technology development in autonomous driving and AI, which will become important industrial infrastructures in the future, we will strive to contribute to the mobility industry ecosystems of both countries." He added, "We will also help enhance transportation convenience between Korea and Vietnam and contribute to the revitalization of the tourism industries of both countries."
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