[K-Tech ASEAN Lab] ① Smart Manufacturing Innovation: Hyundai's 'Future Factory' in Singapore

[On-Site Report] Inside Hyundai's Singapore Global Innovation Center
Producing Cars Through a VR Headset
Unleashing Speed on the Rooftop Sky Track
A Testbed for Smart Manufacturing Innovation by Humans and Robots
Robots Cultivate Vegetables in the Smart Farm
A Beloved Space for Singapore Residents

As the professional driver picked up speed on the approximately 620-meter-long rooftop track, the vehicle tilted along the sloped bank. The rapid acceleration unique to electric vehicles combined with the banking made it feel much faster than the speed indicated on the dashboard. As the car circled the track, the panoramic view of Singapore unfolded all around. This was the Sky Track, the final stop of the Hyundai Motor Group Singapore Global Innovation Center (HMGICS) experience.

Hyundai Motor Group wasn't just making electric vehicles in Singapore. HMGICS serves as a 'factory laboratory' and a 'smart urban mobility hub' where future factories combining cell-based flexible manufacturing, robotics, and digital twin technology are tested and validated, with the verified technologies then scaled to global production bases.

The Asia Business Daily visited HMGICS at the Jurong Innovation Industrial Complex after about an hour's drive from Changi Airport, Singapore, on August 5. From the first floor to the rooftop, this building marks the starting point of Hyundai Motor Company's innovation, where visitors can experience its vision for future mobility with their eyes, ears, and even taste buds. Across from HMGICS is Google's data center, signaling this area as a hub for advanced industries.

Aerial view of Hyundai Motor Group Singapore Global Innovation Center (HMGICS). The sky track can be seen on the rooftop. Provided by Hyundai Motor Group

HMGICS opened its doors in November 2023. The seven-story building, spanning approximately 13,000 pyeong, employs about 350 people and is Singapore's first and only electric vehicle production facility. However, the core role here is not focused on scaling up output, but on researching and developing future manufacturing technologies and validating them in a real-world factory setting.

According to Hyundai Motor Company's briefing, the axis of change centers on manufacturing innovation, digital transformation, and 'agile customization' to swiftly respond to customer demands. The key to manufacturing innovation is moving away from the Henry Ford-era emphasis on long, conveyor belt-driven mass production to a cell-based flexible manufacturing system capable of handling multi-variety production.

Following a brief overview, the guided tour began. The highlight of the HMGICS tour was a VR experience that, though virtual, enabled visitors to participate in vehicle production. After donning a virtual reality headset, a smart factory unfolded before my eyes. In the virtual world, I became an engineer, attaching components to an IONIQ 5 and following the ‘chassis marriage’ process where the body, battery, and chassis are joined together. The process also demonstrated how autonomous mobile robots (AMRs) deliver parts and collaborative robots assist workers. While I could not physically enter the production line, the VR tour allowed for indirect immersion in the process, followed by observation of actual factory operations through a glass partition.

On November 21, 2023, at the completion ceremony of the Hyundai Motor Group Singapore Global Innovation Center (HMGICS), Euisun Chung, Executive Chair of Hyundai Motor Group (fifth from the left), and Lawrence Wong, Prime Minister of Singapore (fourth from the left, then Deputy Prime Minister), attended. Photo by Hyundai Motor Group

According to PR Director Kim Donghyeong, HMGICS is composed of about 28 cells, both automated and manual. Each cell is assigned a different task, such as battery and chassis assembly or door installation. Even if problems occur in a particular cell, production of other vehicles can continue without stopping the entire line. This flexibility is what enables the simultaneous production of IONIQ 5, IONIQ 6, IONIQ 5 robotaxis, and Kia EV5, among other models.

The bonnet of the first robotaxi produced in Singapore bears the signature of Lawrence Wong, the current Prime Minister of Singapore (then Deputy Prime Minister). Singapore, which lacks traditional automobile manufacturing facilities, is actively collaborating with Hyundai Motor Group's Hyundai Mobility Global Innovation Center in Singapore (HMGICS). Photo by Paek Jongmin, Tech Specialist

Approximately 200 robots, including autonomous mobile robots (AMRs) and Spot robots that assist with quality inspections, are employed in manufacturing and logistics within the factory. However, HMGICS does not aim for complete unmanned automation through robotics. Director Kim explained that their goal is a "manufacturing environment where humans and robots collaborate harmoniously." Robots are tasked with repetitive and physically strenuous jobs, while humans focus on judgment and flexible tasks. This is also reflected in the fact that even though the humanoid robot ‘Atlas,’ unveiled at CES 2026 in January, has not yet been introduced to this production site.

The ultimate goal for Hyundai Motor Company's HMGICS is to become an SDF (Software-Defined Factory). Having laid the foundation of a smart factory, HMGICS is currently in the stage of linking the real-world factory and the virtual factory using digital twin technology. Real-time data is analyzed to identify optimal production conditions and then fed back into the actual factory. The long-term vision is to advance to a 'meta-smart factory,' which will synchronize the virtual and real environments in real time.

Spot robots interact with workers on the manufacturing line at Hyundai Motor Group Singapore Global Innovation Center (HMGICS). Provided by Hyundai Motor Company

When asked, “Why Singapore?” the response was that it provides an optimal environment for experimenting with future manufacturing technologies. The active support of the Singaporean government, robust digital infrastructure, and a collaborative ecosystem with research institutions such as Nanyang Technological University (NTU) and the Agency for Science, Technology and Research (ASTAR) made HMGICS possible. The joint corporate research lab established by Hyundai Motor Company, NTU, and ASTAR is staffed by about 100 researchers focusing on artificial intelligence, intelligent robotics, and 3D printing, with technologies validated in real production environments. Director Kim noted that the cell-based production and automation technologies validated at HMGICS have already been applied at Hyundai Motor Company's Metaplant America in the United States. The structure is to pilot future factory technologies in Singapore, then scale them up to Hyundai’s global plants.

The atmosphere inside the HMGICS building is different from typical automotive factories. Inside, a smart farm operated by robots and automation technologies grows vegetables, and there is a Korean restaurant as well. During the tour, visitors could taste a variety of vegetables grown in the smart farm. Apart from the press corps, multiple visitors could be seen throughout the facility. By integrating automobiles, robots, food culture, and experience in one place, HMGICS has also become an experiential space for Singaporean citizens. The Korean restaurant, known for its affordable prices relative to Singapore’s high cost of living, provides authentic Korean cuisine and is so popular that reservations are highly competitive.

In the smart farm within Hyundai Motor Group Singapore Global Innovation Center (HMGICS), robots were growing vegetables. Photo by Paek Jongmin, Tech Specialist

Robots are also utilized in moving and parking completed vehicles. Since there is no need to leave space for opening doors and drivers to get out as with manual parking, vehicles can be stored more densely—according to Hyundai Motor Company. Production, logistics, test driving, and customer experiences are all concentrated in a single building. This model is particularly suited to Singapore, where efficient use of limited land and space is essential.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.