Hyundai Mobis is upgrading a cooperation framework that spans the entire cycle of the mobility and semiconductor industries, aiming to strengthen South Korea's competitiveness in automotive chips. The plan is to accelerate efforts to raise the share of domestically made auto chips and build industry capabilities on par with global levels.
The company said it held the second Auto Semicon Korea (ASK) forum on the 21st at the DoubleTree by Hilton Seoul Pangyo hotel in Seongnam, Gyeonggi Province. ASK is an automotive semiconductor cooperation platform Hyundai Mobis launched last year. Its purpose is to connect capabilities across the auto and chip industries — automakers, parts suppliers, fabless firms, foundries and design houses — to bolster the competitiveness of domestic automotive semiconductors.
"We will link the strengths of each player so that individual companies do not have to shoulder the high entry barriers of automotive semiconductors alone, and build a full-cycle cooperation structure in which we take joint responsibility from development through verification and mass production," Hyundai Mobis President Lee Kyu-seok said. "This year we confirmed actual product development, vehicle application and the potential for commercialization, so the partnership will move to a more advanced stage."
About 90 people attended, including Minister of Trade, Industry and Energy Kim Jung-kwan and other government officials, along with executives from major companies such as Samsung Electronics (005930.KS), SK keyfoundry, Global Technology (486510.KQ), ABOV Semiconductor (102120.KQ), LX Semicon (108320.KS) and Dongwoon Anatech (094170.KQ). This year the scope of cooperation widened to include intellectual property, testing and evaluation, and functional safety, drawing 53 companies and institutions — about twice as many as last year.
Since ASK was launched last year, Hyundai Mobis has identified 19 joint projects with domestic firms in system semiconductors and begun development of 13 chips. For nine of them, the company has already settled on the vehicle models for mass-production use in consultation with Hyundai Motor (005380.KS) and Kia (000270.KS). "Starting next year, cars fitted with automotive semiconductors produced through these domestic joint projects will enter early testing stages, and mass production should be possible by 2029," Lee said.
Investment to build an automotive semiconductor ecosystem is also under way in cooperation with the government. The Korea Automotive Technology Institute is building a comprehensive automotive semiconductor support center in Cheonan and aims to bring it into full operation in June next year. The industry has long complained about a shortage of the testing facilities essential to product development. At the forum, strategies for localizing automotive microcontroller units (MCUs) as well as communication and power management chips were also fleshed out.
Joint reviews are also under way to improve development capabilities, quality and mass-production competitiveness in power semiconductors used in electric vehicles. On the same day, the government, Hyundai Mobis and SK keyfoundry signed a memorandum of understanding to build a dedicated research and development facility for power semiconductor development.
Participants also discussed ways to work together to strengthen development and mass-production competitiveness in next-generation power semiconductors such as silicon carbide (SiC) and insulated-gate bipolar transistors (IGBT).
South Korea's automotive chip technology still lags that of leading overseas players. Hyundai Mobis plans to raise its chip development capabilities by quickly converting domestic technology built up in mobile and communications applications for automotive use.
"The volume of automotive semiconductors needed will keep growing, and their share of the overall chip market will rise as well," Lee said. "Considering the difficulties domestic businesses will face down the road, it is extremely important to invest now and deliver results."
The forum also included the launch ceremony for an automotive semiconductor "one team" task force led by the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy, Hyundai Motor, Hyundai Mobis and LG Electronics (066570.KS).