37 suppliers showcase technologies; 5 honored for excellence

Awards span chassis, body, electronics, electrification and battery categories

An exterior view of the Hyundai Motor and Kia headquarters in Yangjae, Seoul [Hyundai Motor Group]
An exterior view of the Hyundai Motor and Kia headquarters in Yangjae, Seoul [Hyundai Motor Group]

Hyundai Motor and Kia held their "2026 R&D Supplier Tech Day" on Wednesday at Rolling Hills Hotel in Hwaseong, Gyeonggi Province, the companies said. The event is part of their strategy to strengthen future mobility competitiveness through joint research and development with suppliers.

Attendees included Manfred Harrer, president and head of Hyundai Motor and Kia's R&D division, along with Moon Sung-jun, chairman of the Hyundai Motor and Kia Suppliers Association; Lee Taek-sung, chairman of the Korea Auto Industries Cooperative Association; and Ahn Jeong-gu, chairman of the K-Mobility Bridge Foundation. The event was also streamed live online to allow broader participation from supplier representatives.

The R&D Supplier Tech Day recognizes suppliers that have achieved outstanding results in technology development and quality assurance, while fostering collaboration through technical exchange. Hyundai Motor and Kia have held the event annually since 2006, making it a flagship program for shared R&D growth. This year, 42 technologies developed by 37 suppliers were on display, followed by awards for five standout supplier technologies and presentations of new technology case studies.

Hyundai Motor and Kia selected top supplier technologies across four categories — chassis, body, electronics, and electrification and battery — with the highest-rated technology receiving a grand prize.

The grand prize went to Daedong Door in the electronics category for its "soft opening latch." The technology, a domestic first, incorporates a deceleration mechanism called a "sinching gear" inside the latch to control the operating speed of the lock, reducing impact and noise when the lock is released. It also improves tailgate closing stability, cutting rattles and noise during driving by about 18 percent.

Four excellence awards were also presented. In the chassis category, the winners were Donghee Industrial for its "RVM camera ultrasonic cleaning module," Kyungchang Industrial for its "misoperation-recognition accelerator pedal," and Hwashin for its "front lower arm with 1.8 GPa-grade local heat treatment." In the electrification and battery category, Clarios Delco took the award for its next-generation battery technology "hAGM," which improves charge acceptance — the ability to receive charging current.

A session showcasing award-winning new technologies was also held. Park Sang-yeol, executive vice president of Daedong Door, presented the grand prize-winning soft opening latch, while Kim Sang-dae, executive vice president of Donghee Industrial, introduced the development of the RVM camera ultrasonic cleaning module.

From Wednesday through Nov. 30, Hyundai Motor and Kia will post 42 new technology videos online for employees of both companies and their suppliers to view. Technologies cleared for public release will also be accessible to outside customers.

"The outstanding technologies and innovations from our suppliers are the driving force behind Hyundai Motor and Kia's competitiveness," Harrer said. "We will continue to expand technical exchange and cooperation as we prepare together for the era of future mobility."

Meanwhile, Hyundai Motor and Kia are pursuing co-growth with automotive suppliers on multiple fronts, including the "Here We Go" program supporting supplier recruitment, the opening of a joint AI-specialized training center, and early payment of supplier invoices ahead of the Chuseok holiday.


eyre@heraldcorp.com