HD Hyundai fosters in-house startups via Dream Cube program
Employees of Avikus, a subsidiary of HD Hyundai, promote its autonomous navigation systems for leisure boats at the Miami International Boat Show in Florida, February. HD Hyundai said Monday that it chose five teams for its Dream Cube in-house startup incubation program to create more examples of in-house startups like Avikus. Courtesy of HD Hyundai
By Baek Byung-yeul
HD Hyundai is fostering in-house startups through its Dream Cube incubation program in order to support its employees with creative ideas they wish to pursue, the company said Monday.
The company said it chose five teams to take part in the Dream Cube program, providing support for commercialization of their business idea for one year. Since the company began receiving applications in March, it has collected a total of 239 business ideas.
Over the next year, the five selected teams will further refine their ideas, being provided by metal 3D printing and electronic equipment circuit design, to test the feasibility and potential of their ideas by launching prototypes and pilot services.
HD Hyundai will provide 150 million won ($114,833) per team, as well as independent workspaces with expert mentoring, networking and consulting support.
The company said the Dream Cube program is in line with its President Chung Ki-sun's vision to create a company where every employee can pursue their dreams.
“To realize the new vision, we need a new corporate culture,” Chung said during the opening ceremony for HD Hyundai's Pangyo R&D center in Seongnam, Gyeonggi Province, December 2022. “We will actively strive to become a company that employees really want to work for and a company where employees are able to fully realize their dreams.”
HD Hyundai has already produced a success story with its first in-house startup, Avikus.
Avikus specializes in autonomous navigation technologies for leisure boats. The company was launched in December 2020 to advance ship autonomous navigation systems. In June 2022, the company succeeded in the world's first autonomous trans-Pacific navigation of a liquefied natural gas carrier.