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Corporate Information Hyundai Motor Group Executive Chair Chung Presents 2026 Vision: Customer-Focused Transformation and AI-Driven Ecosystem Collaboration
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Corporate Information Hyundai Motor Group Executive Chair Chung Presents 2026 Vision: Customer-Focused Transformation and AI-Driven Ecosystem Collaboration
Corporate Information Hyundai Motor Group Executive Chair Chung Presents 2026 Vision: Customer-Focused Transformation and AI-Driven Ecosystem Collaboration
Corporate Information Hyundai Motor Group Executive Chair Chung Presents 2026 Vision: Customer-Focused Transformation and AI-Driven Ecosystem Collaboration
Corporate Information Hyundai Motor Group Executive Chair Chung Presents 2026 Vision: Customer-Focused Transformation and AI-Driven Ecosystem Collaboration
Corporate Information Hyundai Motor Group Executive Chair Chung Presents 2026 Vision: Customer-Focused Transformation and AI-Driven Ecosystem Collaboration
Hyundai Motor Group Executive Chair Chung Presents 2026 Vision: Customer-Focused Transformation and AI-Driven Ecosystem Collaboration
SEOUL, January 5, 2026 – Hyundai Motor Group (The Group) today shared its 2026 strategic vision with global employees, with Executive Chair Euisun Chung presenting priorities focused on continuous customer-focused transformation, strengthened ecosystem competitiveness, and AI-driven innovation to navigate evolving market dynamics and lead new industry standards.
During his new year remarks, Executive Chair Chung presented five key strategic priorities — customer-focused evolution, agile decision-making, ecosystem competitiveness, bold collaboration, and leading new industry standards — to navigate the evolving global landscape.
Driving Transformation Through Customer Focus
Executive Chair Chung opened by expressing gratitude to employees and customers, acknowledging 2025's unprecedented business environment changes while thanking employees for their exceptional performance and customers for their continued trust. He noted that 2026 will bring both headwinds and opportunities as the global business landscape continues to evolve rapidly.
Chung emphasized continuous transformation driven by customer insights. “When conditions get tough and competition fierce, our greatest strength will be our ability to continuously evolve by staying close to our customers,” he said.
Specifically, he encouraged employees to take a moment and assess some fundamental questions: “Did we thoroughly reflect customers' perspectives in our products? Did we ever compromise in the process of planning or development? Can we confidently speak of our quality in front of customers? Through these questions, we can look back upon ourselves squarely and strive for progress, thereby keeping ourselves resilient against any challenges,” he said.
Agile Decision-Making Through Direct Engagement
Executive Chair Chung welcomed transformation in work methods and leadership. “Leaders must step out into the field, engage directly with people, and understand the essence of situations firsthand,” he said.
He emphasized the importance of speed and clarity in organizational operations. “Above all, what matters most is fast and clear communication, and agile decision-making that is free from formality. Let us work more efficiently,” he said, highlighting that by fresh thinking of its approaches, the Group can continue to achieve innovation.
Building Competitive Advantage Through Ecosystem Strength
Executive Chair Chung reinforced the importance of ecosystem strength, noting that Group businesses such as vehicle and humanoid robot manufacturing each involve tens of thousands of components, requiring exceptional performance and quality across the entire production chain.
“The strength of our supply ecosystem directly amplifies our competitive advantage. Sustainable growth is possible only when the whole ecosystem stays healthy,” he said.
Bold Collaboration for AI-Driven Transformation
Executive Chair Chung emphasized that as AI technology rapidly develops and competitive dynamics shift, the global manufacturing industry is undergoing a major transition. He highlighted the need to advance through bold collaboration with diverse partners in navigating this AI-driven transformation.
“Looking at the automotive market alone, we've entered an era where core product competitiveness is determined by AI capabilities,” he noted. Chung emphasized that Hyundai Motor Group is rapidly building capabilities to compete at the highest level, leveraging world-class product design and manufacturing expertise, plus valuable data from manufacturing sites and user experiences.
He shared his strong belief in the Group's competitiveness in the physical AI field and how this will continue to grow to serve customers. “We possess world-class capabilities in the design and manufacturing of physical products. If we envision a bigger future and boldly expand collaboration with various partners to broaden the industrial ecosystem, I am confident we will deliver greater value to customers,” he said.
Executive Roundtable Focuses on AI Integration and Strategic Execution
Following Executive Chair Chung's remarks, an open roundtable discussion was held with key executives, including Group Vice Chair Jaehoon Chang, Hyundai Motor Company President and CEO José Muñoz, Kia Corporation President and CEO Ho Sung Song, Hyundai Mobis Co. President and CEO Gyu Suk Lee, and Hyundai Motor Group Presidents Luc Donckerwolke, Sung Kim, and Manfred Harrer. The session was moderated by Executive Vice President and Head of Corporate HR, Hae In Kim. The discussion, informed by an employee survey of more than 7,200 participants globally, addressed future readiness, technology development strategies, and organizational culture.
Executive Chair Chung elaborated on AI's strategic importance, defining it not as plug-and-play technology but as a force fundamentally reshaping how companies and industries operate. He explained AI is the first technology in human history that can independently define problems and create new knowledge, emphasizing companies excelling in AI internalization will define the industry's future.
He highlighted that as momentum shifts toward physical AI, Hyundai Motor Group's data from vehicles, robots, and manufacturing processes becomes increasingly differentiated. “Our future hinges on whether we treat AI as a tool or adopt it as the engine of organizational evolution. The only way for us to sustain our position as a global leader in the years ahead is to embed AI into our organizational DNA, not borrowing it from the outside,” Executive Chair Chung said.
Reinforcing Digital Transformation, Robotics, and Hydrogen Leadership
Vice Chair Jaehoon Chang reinforced the Group's commitment to digital transformation, emphasizing that the transformation to a software-driven mobility company is essential to its future success and industry leadership.
"I believe that what we have built so far in the unexplored realm of SDV will become a solid foundation for the future envisioned by Hyundai Motor Group. We are still in the stage of perfecting our developments, and we are steadily preparing to deploy SDV across various vehicle models," he said.
He added that the collaboration framework with 42dot remains unchanged, and major development projects incorporating SDV technology will proceed as planned.
Regarding the Group's robotics initiatives, Vice Chair Chang detailed progress in physical AI development. "Through our collaboration with Boston Dynamics, we are jointly advancing hardware and physical AI, combining world-class robotics R&D with manufacturing expertise," he said. He noted that logistics robot Stretch and quadruped robot Spot are already gathering real usage data both inside and outside the Group, steadily improving their performance, safety, and cost competitiveness. Humanoid robot Atlas is expected to help people move away from hazardous environments and repetitive tasks, enabling them to focus on creative, high-value roles.
He also highlighted the Group's comprehensive leadership across the hydrogen value chain. "Hydrogen serves as both an energy carrier and storage solution that complements renewable energy and enhances efficiency. Beyond hydrogen mobility, our Group is leading the entire value chain from production to storage and industrial applications," Vice Chair Chang said, noting that the Group's hydrogen achievements are gaining increasing global recognition.
Business Leaders Outline Growth Strategies and Technology Advancement
Hyundai Motor Company CEO José Muñoz outlined growth strategies, saying: “We are minimizing the tariff impact through our localization plans and supply chain restructuring, while continuing to strengthen the areas where we lead.”
Kia Corporation CEO Ho Sung Song highlighted ambitious targets for the year ahead. “Kia has established very ambitious plans with a growth target of over 6 percent this year,” he said, outlining plans to continue expansion of Kia’s PBV ecosystem, centered on the award-winning PV5, and launch volume models including the new Kia Telluride and Kia Seltos SUVs.
Hyundai Mobis Co. CEO Gyu Suk Lee outlined the company's strategic role. “As Hyundai Motor Group's core parts company, Hyundai Mobis will play a major role in stably supporting new architectures and the mass production and expanded deployment of SDV,” he said.
President and Head of Strategy and Planning Division Sung Kim addressed global risk management amid low-growth trends. He emphasized enhancing the ability to "anticipate and respond more quickly to global economic and geopolitical developments through sustained monitoring and closer coordination across the group," adding that the company is working to turn challenges into opportunities for growth.
President and Head of R&D Division, Manfred Harrer provided updates on technology development. “Through the 'SDV Pace Car', we are proceeding with the establishment of a mass-production system and verification as originally planned. The tech capabilities secured through this process will be applied to next-generation models,” he said.
Executive Vice President and Head of Corporate HR, Hae In Kim emphasized organizational resilience. “It’s important we learn from experience and transform this into forward momentum. In that process, we must recognize each other's differences and collaborate by combining our respective strengths,” she said.
President, Chief Creative Officer and Chief Design Officer Luc Donckerwolke encouraged bold innovation, stating that a challenge is "an opportunity to realize our dreams," and added, "It is the time to reset, disrupt, and innovate.”
Leading New Industry Standards
Executive Chair Chung concluded by encouraging the Group to lead new industry and product standards, emphasizing the opportunity to build a future providing superior value and customer experiences.
Quoting Founding Chairman Ju-yung Chung's philosophy — “If there is no path, find one. If you cannot find one, make one. As long as I do not think it is a failure, it cannot be a failure” — he inspired employees, noting the strongest force driving Hyundai Motor Group lies in the spirit of perseverance and drive to overcome challenges. “I invite you all to join this journey of transformation with passion and commitment,” he remarked.
He concluded the roundtable by stating, "I feel confident and energized because of this team, because of all of you. And as I mentioned earlier, the passion grows even more thanks to customers who recognize and love what we create. That makes me want to do even better, together."
Jiwon Moon
m00n@hyundai.com
Global PR Strategy & Planning · Hyundai Motor Company
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About Hyundai Motor Group
Hyundai Motor Group is a global enterprise that has created a value chain based on mobility, steel, and construction, as well as logistics, finance, IT, and service. With about 250,000 employees worldwide, the Group’s mobility brands include Hyundai, Kia, and Genesis. Armed with creative thinking, cooperative communication and the will to take on any challenges, we strive to create a better future for all.
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