HYUNDAI Motor Company has set out the structure, focus and first ideas of its newly-established Project IONIQ Lab in Korea, exploring future mobility solutions through innovation, research and academic projects. The Lab, which is part of Hyundai's Project IONIQ long-term research and development program announced in March, will work to suggest ideas for innovative technologies and concepts for future mobility. It will be an open innovation organization that enables cooperation between Hyundai, academic bodies and universities. Wonhong Cho, Executive Vice President of Hyundai Motor Company, said: "We are happy to announce the opening of the ‘Project IONIQ Lab', which extends our efforts to understand future mobility and influence the concept of ‘freedom in mobility'. Hyundai Motor will advance theoretical and practical understanding, innovating to develop future mobility solutions tailored to our customers' lifestyles." The Lab will explore four key areas: freedom to use mobility whenever and wherever; freedom to connect to everyday life while on the move; freedom from accidents and inconveniences; and freedom from environmental pollution and energy exhaustion. The Project IONIQ Lab will be led by Dr. Soon Jong Lee, Professor of Seoul National University and Head of Korea Future Design & Research Institute, who will be supported by 10 researchers and 10 consultant experts. The group has already issued its first collective output, a summary of future megatrends that are likely to affect the car industry in 2030. From a ‘hyper-connected society' and ‘eco-ism' to the ‘decentralization of power' and ‘mega-urbanization', the megatrends set out the Project IONIQ Lab's vision of the world, explaining how mobility will interact with each trend. Mike Song, Head of Operations for Hyundai Africa and Middle East Region, said: "Technology is evolving at an unprecedented speed. With Project IONIQ, we are not only thinking about what is possible now, but also understanding what is quickly becoming possible and how to incorporate that into future generations of Hyundai cars." Through the new Project IONIQ Lab, Hyundai Motor will predict changes in future mobility and study possible scenarios; develop new types of mobility according to changes in society and people's lifestyles; and create new service models and mobility experiences to extend the role and definition of ‘cars'.
