Hyundai signs MOU with UC Berkeley and UC Davis to establish ‘Hyundai Center of Excellence’ for collaborative R&D

3 September 2012

Hyundai Motor Group signed a memorandum of understanding with the University of California, Berkeley and University of California, Davis to establish the Hyundai Center of Excellence. This marks the first collaboration project in Hyundai’s larger R&D joint research and professional development program, called Hyundai R&D Global Frontier.

This long-range program is designed to strengthen Hyundai Motor Group’s fundamental R&D competency by working with the world’s leading universities and companies.

With the Hyundai Center of Excellence, select Hyundai engineers will join top researchers at both universities to work on vehicle dynamics and integrated vehicle safety systems. The Center of Excellence will conduct research projects aimed at making Hyundai vehicles safer, better-handling, and more fun to drive. Each R&D engineer will be given research assignments to produce technological innovations that will be incorporated into future Hyundai vehicles.

The Hyundai R&D Global Frontier project launches with research projects in eight automotive fields including ride and handling; NVH (noise, vibration and harshness); crash-worthiness; Advanced Safety Vehicle (ASV) technologies; and advanced material technologies. This year Hyundai will collaborate with 22 industry leaders in business and academia.

Business partners include Spain-based Applus IDIADA, UK-based Ricardo and Austria-based AVL. Hyundai will also work with top research institutions, including UC Berkeley, UC Davis, and Stanford University.