Reasons Behind Hyundai Motor Chairman's Surprise Visit to Intel

Chung Eui-sun, chairman of Hyundai Motor Group, took a tour of Intel’s European manufacturing process with a view to internalizing vehicle semiconductor technology.

According to Hyundai Motor Group on July 9, Chairman Chung visited Intel’s Ireland Campus located in Leixlip, Kildare County, Ireland on July 7 (local time) and toured the 14-nanometer FinFET process of “FAB 24” under the guidance of Anne-Marie Holmes, vice president of Intel Semiconductor Manufacturing Group.

Chairman Chung’s visit was driven by a desire to understand the global semiconductor supply chain reorganization movement and to plan for the development and internalization of automotive semiconductors, which will become increasingly important in the future.

Intel’s Ireland Campus, which started operation in 1989, plays a crucial role in Europe. FinFET is a system semiconductor technology that constructs semiconductor elements into a three-dimensional structure to enhance information processing speed and power efficiency. At Fab24, this technology is used to produce and supply the central processing unit (CPU) used in Hyundai’s standard 5th generation infotainment system for the Genesis G90 and Kia EV9’s advanced driver-assistance system (ADAS).

After touring FAB24, Chairman Chung received an explanation about Intel’s semiconductor production and supply chain management process at the Remote Operation Center (ROC), which monitors Intel’s fab operation status in real time 365 days a year. The ROC is known as a major facility that indirectly estimates the flow of the semiconductor industry through Intel’s status.

As various advanced features are added to automobiles, the demand for high-performance automotive semiconductors is exploding every year. They are used as the main components that play the role of the brain in future mobility such as electric vehicles, autonomous vehicles, and PBV. In particular, semiconductor chips capable of quickly computing and processing large amounts of data are essential for the transition to a Software-Defined Vehicle (SDV) system, which Hyundai Motor Group is pushing for.

This is why Hyundai Motor Group is actively promoting the development of high-performance automotive semiconductors and internalizing technical capabilities.

In 2020, Hyundai Motor Group merged the semiconductor business divisions of Hyundai Mobis and Hyundai AUTRON to enhance the efficiency of research and development (R&D) in the automotive semiconductor sector. The strategy is to internalize core technologies of system and power semiconductors at an early stage and continuously strengthen competitiveness in the field of next-generation high-performance semiconductors.

Hyundai Motor Group is investing in semiconductor startups with promising technology as well as cooperating with global semiconductor companies. In June, it made a follow-up investment of 2 billion won in BOS Semiconductor, a startup specializing in automotive semiconductors.