Hyundai Motor to build big data center in China

Hyundai Motor Vice Chairman Chung Eui-sun, standing third from left, poses with Guizhou ProvinceCommunist Party Secretary Chen Min’er, fourth from left, Cisco CEO Chuck Robbins, second from left, and other officials at the Guiyang International Ecological Conference Center, Tuesday during a signing ceremony for a strategic joint venture agreement. / Courtesy of Hyundai Motor

By Jhoo Dong-chan

Hyundai Motor said Wednesday that it has signed a deal with the Chinese government to jointly build a big data center that will develop connected car technologies.

According to a Hyundai Motor press release, Hyundai Motor Vice Chairman Chung Eui-sun signed a strategic joint venture agreement with Guizhou Province Communist Party Secretary Chen Min’er at the Guiyang International Ecological Conference Center, Tuesday.

Under the deal, the two parties will first build a big data center at the Guian New Area, a state-operated big data-specialized industrial cluster in the southwestern Chinese province. The center is expected to study and analyze various information, including drivers’ preferences and decision-making processes, to develop connected cars and services.

“Hyundai Motor’s decision to build a big data center here is the best choice for their future operation,” said Chen during the signing ceremony.

“Other global ICT firms who previously launched operations here were all satisfied with the business environment at the cluster. The Guizhou Provincial Government promises full support for Hyundai Motor’s future operation in big data.”

Chung also expressed his expectations about the big data center in the cluster.

“Guian New Area is the country’s industrial heartland with boundless potential for big data,” he said.

“The joint venture with Guizhou Province will boost Hyundai Motor’s development of future car technologies, including connected cars, as well as our sales operation in China.”

Hyundai Motors said in a press release that it will soon carry out approval procedures with the government, prepare for the move-in and then establish infrastructure to open the center in June 2017, becoming Hyundai Motor's first-ever overseas big data center.

The world’s fifth-largest automaker opened its first Korean big data center in 2014.

Hyundai Motor also said that it will consider a partnership with other global firms located in the cluster such as Amazon and Baidu to collect various market information and customer preferences.

“There are also a great number of human resource pools in IT there,” it said.

“Hyundai Motor will also hire qualified big data analysts by the opening of the center.”

Separate from the agreement with Guizhou Province, Hyundai Motor also signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the world’s largest network device maker Cisco at a hotel in Guiyang, Guizhou Province, Tuesday.

Under the MOU, the two companies promised to work together in developing network and security technologies for their connected car project.