Hyundai Mobis Strengthens Cooperation with Government, Samsung Electronics and SK to Localize Automotive Semiconductors

2nd “Auto Semicon Korea (ASK)” Forum
Participants expand to 53 companies and institutions this year
Government partnership supports localization of automotive semiconductors
Implementation strategies discussed for system and power semiconductors
“Developing ASK into an execution platform linking demand -> projects -> development -> mass production”

Hyundai Mobis is accelerating the localization of automotive semiconductors in cooperation with the government and domestic semiconductor companies, including Samsung Electronics and SK keyfoundry. The company plans to expand a collaborative platform connecting automakers, parts suppliers, and semiconductor design and manufacturing companies, and to support the application of domestically developed semiconductors in actual vehicles and their eventual mass production.

On Wednesday, Hyundai Mobis held the 2nd Auto Semiconductor Forum, “Auto Semicon Korea (ASK),” at the DoubleTree by Hilton Seoul Pangyo in Seongnam, Gyeonggi Province. Around 90 people attended, including Lee Gyuseok, president of Hyundai Mobis; Kim Jeonggwan, Minister of Trade, Industry and Energy; and representatives from companies, government, academia, and industry associations.

Lee Gyuseok, CEO of Hyundai Mobis, delivers welcoming remarks at the 2nd Auto Semicon Korea (ASK), an automotive semiconductor forum, on the 21st. Hyundai Mobis.

The number of ASK participants has grown from 27 companies and institutions at its launch last year to 53 this year. Participating semiconductor companies include Samsung Electronics, SK keyfoundry, Global Technology, ABOV Semiconductor, LX Semicon, and Dongwoon Anatech. The scope of collaboration has also broadened to include software (SW), semiconductor intellectual property (IP), packaging, testing and evaluation, and functional safety. The Automotive Semiconductor One-Team Task Force (TF), led by the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy, Hyundai Motor, Hyundai Mobis, and LG Electronics, has also been launched to strengthen cooperation between the government and industry.

“As a company that demands automotive semiconductors, we will actively share the know-how we have accumulated,” Lee said. “We will connect each company’s strengths so that no company has to tackle the high barriers to entry in automotive semiconductors alone, and build an end-to-end collaborative structure that brings us together from development through verification and mass production.”

19 projects identified and 13 types under development... target vehicle models for mass production specified

Since ASK was launched last year, Hyundai Mobis has identified 19 system semiconductor collaboration projects with domestic companies and begun developing 13 types of semiconductors. In particular, target vehicle models for nine of the 13 types have been selected for potential use by Hyundai Motor and Kia, giving greater clarity to their potential application in actual vehicles and commercialization. The companies have also begun joint reviews in the power semiconductor field to strengthen domestic companies’ development capabilities and competitiveness in quality and mass production.

At a media briefing, Lee said, “Last year, we focused on extending domestic companies’ semiconductor technologies for home appliances, mobile devices, and industrial applications to automotive use and identifying opportunities for joint development. This year, we are moving on to the stage of confirming the potential for actual product development, vehicle application, and commercialization.”

Automotive semiconductors must meet higher standards of reliability and safety than products for general electronic devices. Semiconductor development takes two to three years, followed by around one year and six months to two years and six months of verification before the chip can be used in a vehicle. This is why it is important to establish a collaborative system from the early stages of development that specifies automakers’ requirements, the timing of application, and target vehicle models, and links these to verification and mass production.

“From the perspective of systems and controllers, we will proactively set out the requirements and technology road maps for future core semiconductors,” said Park Cheolhong, executive vice president in charge of the semiconductor business at Hyundai Mobis. “We will work with automakers to specify the functions to be implemented, quality standards, timing, and target vehicle models at an early stage, strengthening a demand-driven development system that delivers tangible business results.”

A panel discussion is underway at the 2nd Auto Semicon Korea (ASK), an automotive semiconductor forum, held on the 21st at DoubleTree by Hilton Seoul Pangyo in Seongnam, Gyeonggi Province. Photo by Lee Seungjin

End-to-end collaboration beyond fabless firms and foundries... focus on system and power semiconductors

This year’s ASK discussions focused on ways to strengthen the competitiveness of the domestic ecosystem, particularly in system and power semiconductors. In the system semiconductor field, participants discussed strategies for localizing automotive microcontrollers (MCUs) and communication and power semiconductors. In the power semiconductor field, they discussed the development of next-generation products, including silicon carbide (SiC) and insulated-gate bipolar transistors (IGBTs), and ways to secure competitiveness in mass production.

Collaboration has expanded beyond its previous focus on fabless firms and foundries to include design IP, software, packaging, testing and evaluation, and functional safety. The aim is to support domestic companies’ entry into mass production by connecting the technologies and infrastructure needed not only for semiconductor design but also for manufacturing, verification, and vehicle application.

Hyundai Mobis cites as a strength its position as a Tier 1 supplier that uses automotive semiconductors, as well as its ability to design semiconductors itself and verify them in conjunction with controllers. The company plans to reflect automakers’ performance and quality requirements in semiconductor specifications and test the mass-production potential of products by applying them to actual vehicle systems.

Since acquiring Hyundai Autron’s semiconductor business in 2020, Hyundai Mobis has expanded its research and development capabilities, focusing on system and power semiconductors. It has designed 16 types of system semiconductors used for power supply, drive, communications, sensors, and data processing, and produces around 20 million units annually through external foundries. In the power semiconductor field, it is focused on strengthening the competitiveness of the value chain spanning semiconductors, power modules, inverters, motors, and electrified propulsion systems (PE systems).

LX Semicon's automotive semiconductors are on display at the 2nd Automotive Semiconductor Forum, Auto Semicon Korea (ASK). Photo by Lee Seungjin

Linking government R&D with verification infrastructure... turning ASK into a platform for mass-production execution

Government support and the development of verification infrastructure are also underway. The Cheonan Automotive Semiconductor Support Center, supported by the central and local governments, is being developed with completion targeted for 2027. Hyundai Mobis plans to establish infrastructure to support reliability verification and evaluation of automotive semiconductors, and to link projects identified through ASK with government research and development (R&D) programs.

Hyundai Mobis envisions ASK as an execution platform that goes beyond the simple exchange of information and spans “demand → projects → development → verification → mass production.” As electrification, software-defined vehicles (SDVs), and autonomous driving become more widespread, requirements for automotive semiconductor performance, functional safety, communications, and power management are rising. Hyundai Mobis’s strategy is to proactively define the semiconductor specifications required for future vehicles and develop products jointly with domestic companies.

Hyundai Mobis plans to strengthen the competitiveness of the automotive semiconductor supply chain by working with automakers, semiconductor companies, and the government to increase the number of cases in which products developed by domestic companies are used in actual vehicles and go on to achieve mass-production results.

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