Hankook & Company signs agreement with Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology to build data infrastructure platform

Hankook & Company and the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST) are expanding their collaboration to create an open data-based platform. Both partners are fully contributing their digital capabilities to establish the partnership as an exemplary win-win model for university-business collaboration. In addition, pilot programmes are planned by subsidiaries of Hankook & Company, which will use the data-sharing platform once it is completed.

Seoul, Korea / Neu-Isenburg, Germany, 22 July 2021 – Hankook & Company Co, Ltd, the holding company of Hankook Tire & Technology Co, Ltd, has entered into an agreement with KAIST College of Engineering on "Symbiotic Transformation for AI-infused Reality (STAR)". The partnership is to build a data infrastructure platform and strengthen collaboration in research for the post-AI era.

KAIST is the leading university for science and technology in South Korea. The "STAR" project was launched with the aim of creating an innovative open data platform, in line with the shift to a data-centric society. Hankook & Company and KAIST agree on the need to create new value in data collection, analysis and sharing.

Under the partnership, Hankook & Company will support KAIST in preparing a virtual and a real-virtual Symbiosis test environment, as well as in building a convergent data cloud sharing platform that will accelerate the KAIST College of Engineering. Hankook & Company aims to promote this project by fully leveraging its digital capabilities as a systemic and mutually beneficial model for industry-academia collaboration.

Meanwhile, Hankook & Company's major subsidiaries, including Hankook Tire, will conduct pilot programmes to promote Smart Life, Smart Factory and Smart Mobility using the data-sharing platform once the project is completed. Hankook's subsidiaries are seeking cooperation opportunities in various fields. These include real-time analysis of road traffic data in the environmental field and the use of real driving records and road accident data collected in tyre research and development.

Hankook & Company and KAIST have been working together for some time and have achieved some notable successes together. In 2019, for example, they established a joint venture called the HK-KAIST Digital Innovation Centre and have since been driving research, development and digital technology capabilities through digital transformation. In May this year, they extended the agreement to continue the operation of the centre and further work on the joint study that will help ensure future growth engines and technology-based innovation opportunities.

"By continuously demonstrating best practices for mutually beneficial collaboration between academia and industry, Hankook & Company and KAIST represent an exemplary win-win model," said Seyeol Ryu, Executive Director of Hankook & Company's Digital Strategy Team. "We will continue to do our utmost to strengthen research capabilities in digital future technologies."

"If we can build an experimental testing platform within the Metaverse (convergence of virtual world and reality) through data sharing that accelerates industry-academia collaboration in developing new technologies, this will in turn enable us to provide on-site industrial training programmes to nurture talent for the post-AI era. This is an excellent opportunity for the university researchers and companies involved to reach the next level and further develop their skills," said Dongman Lee, Dean of the KAIST College of Engineering.

Caption: Seyeol Ryu, the executive director of Hankook & Company digital strategy team(left) and Dongman Lee, Dean of KAIST College of Engineering(right) at the 'STAR Project' MOU signing ceremony.

About Hankook Tire

Hankook Tire manufactures globally innovative, award-winning radial tyres of proven superior quality for passenger cars, light trucks, SUVs, RVs, trucks, and buses as well as motorsports (circuit racing/street circuits/rallies).

Aspiring to bring consumers the utmost excellence in product quality, technological excellence and driving satisfaction, Hankook Tire continuously invests in research and development maintaining five R&D centres and eight production facilities around the world. Bespoke tyre solutions for the European markets as well as European Original Equipment according to the requirements of leading premium car manufacturers, are developed in the company’s regional Technical Centre in Hanover/Germany. Production for the European region is taking place in the state-of-the-art manufacturing site in Rácalmás/Hungary which was inaugurated in June 2007 and is continuously being expanded.

Hankook Tire’s European headquarters are located in Neu-Isenburg near Frankfurt am Main in Germany. The manufacturer operates further branches in several European countries and sells its products through regional distributors in other local markets. Hankook Tire employs approximately 20,000 people worldwide and sells products in over 160 countries. The company has been the technical partner and exclusive tyre supplier of the Generation 3 for the FIA ABB Formula E World Championship since 2023. Internationally leading car manufacturers rely on tyres made by Hankook for their original equipment. Approximately 38 percent of the company's global sales are generated within the European region.

For more information please visit www.hankooktire-mediacenter.com or www.hankooktire.com

Hankook Tire Europe GmbH | Marketing Communications Europe | Siemensstr. 14, 63263 Neu-Isenburg | Germany

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Seyeol Ryu, the executive director of Hankook & Company digital strategy team(left) and Dongman Lee, Dean of KAIST College of Engineering(right) at the 'STAR Project' MOU signing ceremony.

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