Korea’s Hyundai Motor Company and Singapore operator Singtel have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to collaborate on a range of ventures to support smart manufacturing.
The MOU follows Hyundai Motor Group’s announcement in October 2020 that it is setting up its innovation center in Singapore to conduct studies on future mobility and explore innovative solutions, services and disruptive technologies to improve commuters’ transport experience.
As part of the agreement, Hyundai Motor will combine its expertise in developing innovative automotive and manufacturing solutions with Singtel’s capabilities in 5G, Internet of Things (IoT), and other innovative technologies and solutions to develop Industry 4.0 advanced digital solutions to transform the way vehicles are currently manufactured.
The two partners will develop and pilot a 5G-enabled smart factory use case for Hyundai’s Singapore innovation center’ intelligent manufacturing platform, with the potential to scale it up for deployment across Hyundai’s manufacturing plants globally.
Hyundai said it aims to complete work on the 44,000-square-meter innovation facility by end-2022.
“Hyundai is delighted to work with Singtel, implementing next-generation communication solutions that will enhance mobility experiences for our customers,” said Hong Bum Jung, SVP of Hyundai’s innovation center. “We also hope to explore future innovative solutions and business opportunities with Singtel to help realize Singapore’s Smart Nation vision.”
Hyundai and Singtel will also work together on an IoT communications solution for the batteries powering Hyundai’s electric vehicles (EVs) in Singapore. The IoT system enables Hyundai to monitor the telemetry, or automatic data transmission, of the batteries’ real-time status and performance.
Andrew Lim, managing director, government and large enterprise, group enterprise at Singtel, said, “Our collaboration with Hyundai Motor is timely given the Singapore Government’s decision to phase out internal combustion engine vehicles by 2040 and the recent Budget announcement on new policies to encourage more Singaporeans to switch to driving electric vehicles. By pushing the boundaries of what is possible with 5G, IoT and other advanced technologies, we also want to build up Singapore’s smart manufacturing and Industry 4.0 capabilities and strengthen its innovation ecosystem.”
Singtel initially launched its 5G non-standalone (NSA) network in September of 2020, using spectrum in the 3.5 GHz frequency as well as existing 2.1 GHz spectrum.
Singtel said it is using 28 GHz mmWave spectrum, in addition to the 3.5 GHz and 2.1 GHz bands, to boost its 5G deployment in Singapore.
The Singapore operator recently announced plans to hire over 500 people over the next two years to focus on 5G and other emerging technologies such as IoT, cloud engineering and data analytics.
