"Autonomous Vehicle Semiconductors to Increase Tenfold," Hyundai Motor Chairman Visits Intel's European Hub

Chung Eui-sun, Chairman of Hyundai Motor Group, visited Intel's Ireland campus on the 7th (local time), the company announced. Intel is the world's largest semiconductor company, and the site visited serves as a key European hub.

At the location, Chairman Chung received a briefing on Intel's global business status and toured the semiconductor manufacturing process. The company explained that this was to understand the recent semiconductor supply chain restructuring amid the global competition for leadership and to continuously explore various response scenarios to ensure smooth supply of automotive semiconductors in the future.

From the left in the photo are Kim Heung-soo, Vice Chairman of Hyundai Motor Company; Chung Eui-sun, Chairman of Hyundai Motor Group; Ann Marie Holmes, Co-General Vice President of Intel Semiconductor Manufacturing Group; and Neil Philip, General Manager of Intel Fab 24. They are posing for a commemorative photo on the 7th (local time) at Intel Ireland Campus Fab 24 in Leixlip, Ireland.

Intel's Ireland campus is currently constructing additional advanced semiconductor manufacturing facilities. Equipped with the latest equipment using extreme ultraviolet (EUV) technology, it will produce high-performance semiconductors going forward. Europe, like the United States and China, is making large-scale investments to foster its regional semiconductor industry.

On the day, Chairman Chung inspected the 14-nanometer FinFET process at Fab 24, guided by Ann Marie Holmes, Co-General Vice President of Intel's Semiconductor Manufacturing Group. FinFET is a system semiconductor technology that creates semiconductor devices in a three-dimensional structure to enhance speed and efficiency. At Fab 24, central processing units (CPUs) used in Hyundai Motor's standard 5th generation infotainment system, Genesis G90, and Kia EV9's driving assistance systems are manufactured. Chairman Chung also learned about semiconductor production and overall supply chain management at the remote operation center that monitors Intel's process status in real time.

At this year's New Year's meeting, Chairman Chung emphasized the internalization of technology related to automotive semiconductors, stating, "Currently, about 200 to 300 semiconductor chips are installed in a car, but at the Level 4 autonomous driving stage, it is expected that 2,000 semiconductor chips will be installed." Hyundai Motor Group has been internalizing technological capabilities by merging Hyundai Mobis and Hyundai Autron's semiconductor business divisions in 2020 and investing in promising startups.

Hyundai Motor Group Chairman Chung Eui-sun is delivering a New Year's message about the management strategy and direction for the new year at the New Year's meeting held on January 3rd this year at Hyundai-Kia Motors Namyang Research Center in Hwaseong, Gyeonggi Province. Photo by Hyunmin Kim kimhyun81@

The company explained, "As cars evolve into 'running computers,' the demand for high-performance automotive semiconductors is increasing every year," adding, "Semiconductors capable of processing large volumes of data quickly are essential as main components playing the brain role in future mobility such as electric vehicles, autonomous vehicles, and purpose-built vehicles (PBVs), supporting Hyundai Motor Group's transition to a software-defined vehicle (SDV) system."

Before visiting Intel, Chairman Chung reviewed Hyundai Motor and Kia's sales and production status in the European market and attended Hyundai Motor's 2023 Global Dealership Convention held in Paris, France.