Hyundai Motor, Kia's cooling technology gains recognition at Cannes Lions

Lee Min-jae, left, senior research engineer of Hyundai Motor Group, speaks during a seminar at the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity in Cannes, France, Thursday (local time). Courtesy of Hyundai Motor Group

Hyundai Motor and Kia received recognition from global media and marketers in Cannes, France, for their contributions to humanity through advanced technology, as the car brands shared the case of its dramatic reduction of vehicle interior temperatures, Hyundai Motor Group said Friday.

At the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity on Thursday (local time), Hyundai Motor and Kia presented solutions to social problems using advanced technology under the theme "From Logic to Magic: Five Ways to Make Tech Resonate."

This marks the first time carmakers have been invited to give a presentation at an official seminar of the event, the automotive group said.

Since its inauguration in 1954, the creativity festival has attracted global marketers and consumers, displaying over 25,000 entries from more than 90 countries annually. The event has been broadening its scope of attendees and topics, with creators, tech companies, celebrities and even athletes visiting.

At the seminar, the automotive group introduced its advanced radiation cooling material Nano Cooling Film, presented by its senior research engineer Lee Min-jae. Hyundai Motor Group said that when this film is attached to vehicle glass, it can lower the interior temperature by more than 10 degrees Celsius in summer without darkening the glass, significantly reducing the energy consumption required to cool the vehicle's interior.

In April, Hyundai conducted the "Made Cooler By Hyundai" campaign in Pakistan, where tinting is legally prohibited, by installing its transparent Nano Cooling Film for free to about 70 drivers.

Pakistani drivers typically use air conditioning or drive with windows open to overcome the heat inside their vehicles, and drivers who received the film showed an enthusiastic response to its efficacy, the automotive group said.

The group added that the global media outlets and marketers attending the seminar listened attentively to the presentation, showing great interest and praising it as the best example of solving social issues based on technology.

"It is an honor to introduce the technology we are developing and the company's efforts to work for human progress using this technology at the most prestigious international advertising festival," a spokesperson for the group said. "Hyundai Motor and Kia will continue to invest in and research advanced technologies for future generations, rather than focusing on making profits at present.”