Lotte Innovate (286940.KQ) said on the 21st that it had signed a memorandum of understanding with the city of Gangneung to build a foundation for an artificial intelligence-driven mobility hub. The signing ceremony took place on the 20th at the company's exhibition booth at the 2026 ITS World Congress in Gangneung, attended by Gangneung Mayor Kim Joong-nam, Lotte Innovate CEO Kim Kyung-yeop and Lee Don-tae, head of the design office at Lotte Corp. (004990).
Under the agreement, the two sides will cooperate in several areas: identifying new projects to develop an AI mobility city, designing and testing services tailored to tourist destinations and areas with limited transport access, and building a mobility industry ecosystem based on the results of the ITS World Congress. Lotte Innovate will provide the technology needed to develop the local industrial ecosystem, while Gangneung will handle administrative and regulatory support. The two sides plan to focus in particular on service models that improve travel for residents and tourists in areas where tourist sites and public transit are hard to reach.
Lotte Innovate has operated self-driving services in Gangneung since January 2023. Beyond Gangneung, the company has run autonomous shuttles and built control and reservation systems in Jeju Special Self-Governing Province and Gyeongju, accumulating technical capability and field experience. Drawing on that record, the company plans to upgrade integrated mobility solutions that incorporate AI-based transport technology and to explore ways to expand service models validated in Gangneung to other regions and overseas markets.
"Building on Lotte Innovate's experience in AI and autonomous driving, we will contribute to the AI mobility city that Gangneung is aiming for," the CEO said.