Hyundai Motor and Kia Aim to Bridge Transportation Gaps with Technology... Launch of Public-Private Alliance 'NUMA'

Official Launch of the Public-Private 'K-Transportation Alliance' NUMA
Hyundai Motor Company, Kia, and 31 Government, Research, and Corporate Entities Join Forces

The "K-Transportation Alliance," a partnership between the government and the private sector to build a future mobility ecosystem, has been launched. Hyundai Motor Company and Kia have joined as key members of the alliance, emphasizing that the benefits of technological advancement based on artificial intelligence (AI) and autonomous driving should be accessible to everyone equally.

On September 1, Hyundai Motor Company and Kia announced that they held the launch ceremony for the public-private cooperative body "NUMA (Next Urban Mobility Alliance)" at the Grand Walkerhill Seoul Hotel in Gwangjin-gu, Seoul. This event marks the first official ceremony since Hyundai Motor Company and Kia unveiled their plans to establish NUMA at the "Pleioth 25" software vision event in March.

The event was attended by Kang Heeup, the Second Vice Minister of the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, Song Changhyun, President of the AVP Division at Hyundai Motor Company and Kia, as well as representatives from various government agencies, private companies, and research institutions. NUMA was established based on a shared understanding that persistent social issues-such as regional transportation disparities and the mobility of socially and physically disadvantaged groups-must be addressed through a harmonious combination of corporate innovation, government policy, and academic expertise, despite ongoing technological advancements.

Hyundai Motor Company and Kia Yangjae Office. Provided by Hyundai Motor Company and Kia

The alliance will set phased directions for its activities and maintain close cooperation among all participating entities to achieve these goals. Specifically, in the first phase, the focus will be on the AI transformation of local transportation and solving technology-based transportation issues. The second phase will pursue the realization of autonomous driving-MaaS (Mobility as a Service) based on autonomous driving technologies and future mobility devices. The third phase aims to expand AI mobility for the transition to smart cities.

The most distinctive feature of NUMA is its open alliance model. Starting with this launch event, the alliance plans to continuously accept new participants, accelerating borderless collaboration.

Participating government agencies include the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, the Ministry of the Interior and Safety, Gyeonggi Province, and the Korea Transportation Safety Authority. Private sector participants include Hyundai Motor Company, Kia, Hyundai Card, KT, CJ Logistics, Naver Cloud, Tmap Mobility, and Hanwha General Insurance. Research institutions such as Seoul National University, Yonsei University, Korea National University of Transportation, and the Korea Transport Institute are also involved, with a total of 31 entities joining forces.

Hyundai Motor Company and Kia will collaborate with participating organizations and companies to operate the alliance, while also supporting active networking and the identification of practical projects among the members. The government will also establish policy directions for transportation-disadvantaged regions and vulnerable groups by enacting a basic transportation law, and will devise strategies to foster the future mobility industry, all to ensure universal mobility rights for the public.

President Song stated, "Autonomous driving and AI are powerful forces reshaping daily life. As both the organizer and a partner, Hyundai Motor Company and Kia will realize inclusive mobility rights based on technology that embraces transportation-vulnerable groups and local communities, and will lead the global transition to mobility by connecting with cities around the world."

Vice Minister Kang also remarked, "Transportation is no longer just infrastructure; it is an essential service that connects people's daily lives. Everyone should be able to travel wherever they wish, whenever they wish. I look forward to the public and private sectors working together to create a Korea without transportation disparities, where everyone can move freely and safely."

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