Hyundai, NTU, A*STAR launch Singapore’s first auto Corporate Lab

The Corporate Lab aims to bridge academic research and industrial deployment.

Hyundai Motor Group (HMG), Nanyang Technological University (NTU), and the Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR) have launched a Corporate Lab in Singapore, described as the first of its kind in the country’s automotive manufacturing sector.

The facility is housed within the Hyundai Motor Group Innovation Center Singapore (HMGICS), HMG’s smart factory and testbed for its Software-Defined Factory (SDF) vision.

The Corporate Lab aims to bridge academic research and industrial deployment, focusing on advanced manufacturing technologies.

These include artificial intelligence for smart manufacturing, robotics to enhance production efficiency and workplace safety, 3D printing for automotive components, and intelligent robotic systems designed to reduce defects and downtime while improving engineering productivity.

Under the collaboration, HMGICS will oversee the implementation of smart factory projects, while NTU and ASTAR will lead research and development efforts.

The initiative spans multiple ASTAR research institutes and three key academic units within NTU: the School of Electrical and Electronic Engineering (EEE), the School of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering (MAE), and the Centre for Computational Data Science (CCDS).

The lab will also collaborate with local system integrators and small and medium enterprises (SMEs) to support capability building, talent upskilling, and the creation of high-value jobs.

Expected outcomes of the Corporate Lab include stronger local R&D capacity, the development of next-generation talent in AI, robotics, and smart manufacturing, and the establishment of a new model for collaboration among industry, academia, and government in the field of advanced manufacturing.