Targeting the Market for 'Digital Key' to Start Cars with Phones
Capturing Three Goals: Location Accuracy, Security, and Compatibility
"We Will Firmly Establish Ourselves as a Leading Car Communication Component Company"
LG Innotek is accelerating its push into the automotive communication components market with its cutting-edge 'digital key solution.' The company plans to begin mass production of the product starting in 2027. A digital key is a next-generation key that uses wireless communication technology to open and close car doors or start the engine via a smartphone connected to the vehicle.
LG Innotek employees are showcasing the 'Next-Generation Digital Key Solution.' [Photo by LG Innotek]
On the 22nd, LG Innotek announced that it is targeting 2027 as the official mass production start date and is currently promoting the next-generation digital key to global automaker customers.
LG Innotek has accumulated over 40 years of expertise in wireless communication technology. After launching its first automotive digital key module in 2021, the company enhanced its performance and developed a next-generation digital key solution. This solution is packaged with not only the digital key module equipped with antennas and circuits but also the software required to operate the digital key.
The product incorporates low-power Bluetooth (BLE), near-field communication (NFC) for distances within 10 cm, and ultra-wideband (UWB) short-range communication technologies. UWB is a wireless communication technology that uses a wide bandwidth frequency less susceptible to radio interference compared to BLE. It plays a role in measuring the location of the smartphone connected to the digital key. Additionally, LG Innotek applied its proprietary algorithm to detect the smartphone’s location within an error margin of 10 cm. The performance is among the best in the industry.
Security has been significantly improved. The product applies the company’s proprietary wireless communication hacking prevention technology. The digital key function is activated only on smartphone devices approved by the user. It follows the latest standards of the global digital key standardization organization, the Car Connectivity Consortium (CCC). It can be used regardless of country, terrain, or vehicle type. Compatibility with smartphone devices is also excellent, designed to support both iOS and Android operating systems.
Safety has also been enhanced. The product is equipped with a self-developed radar. A representative feature is the 'Child Presence Detection (CPD)' function, which detects children left inside the vehicle. The radar immediately senses the child’s movement or breathing and sends a real-time alert to the smartphone via ultra-wideband signals. The product size has been reduced to improve convenience. It integrates about 60 components and modules, including wireless frequency (RF) elements, power block elements, BLE and UWB wireless communication support, and proprietary software, all within a device smaller than a business card.
The market growth potential is high. According to the global market research firm Persistence Market Research, this market is expected to grow more than fourfold from $3.0167 billion (approximately 4.16 trillion KRW) last year to $11.3813 billion (approximately 15.7 trillion KRW) by 2033.
CEO Moon Hyuk-soo stated, "LG Innotek will nurture automotive communication components based on its unique wireless communication core technologies as a key pillar of its automotive electronics parts business. We will solidify our position as a global leader in the automotive communication components market."
Meanwhile, LG Innotek is accelerating its push into the automotive communication components market through the second-generation '5G-V2X communication module' developed last year. The company recently secured orders for 5G-V2X communication modules from global automakers. The company expects sales of automotive communication modules this year to grow more than fourfold compared to last year.
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