Open to university students, developers and startups

Applications accepted through Nov. 15

Final demonstrations scheduled for December

Ten teams to receive awards

Total purse of 51 million won

Hyundai Motor and Kia are hosting an in-vehicle app development contest open to university students, developers and startups. [Hyundai Motor/Kia]
Hyundai Motor and Kia are hosting an in-vehicle app development contest open to university students, developers and startups. [Hyundai Motor/Kia]

Hyundai Motor and Kia announced Wednesday they are launching an in-vehicle app development contest and are now accepting applications from university students, developers and startups.

The contest aims to uncover service ideas that make use of vehicle data and translate them into in-car applications, with the goal of offering customers a richer mobility experience.

A notable feature of this year's contest is its expanded scope: following an internal hackathon held in August, the companies have opened participation to outside developers, including undergraduate and graduate students, independent developers and startups.

Participants may enter individually or in teams of up to five people. Applications are open through Nov. 15 via the contest's official website.

Eligible categories span services built on vehicle data, including in-car entertainment, mobility life care, safe driving, and family and passenger care.

Contestants will use a software development kit provided through Hyundai Motor Group's in-vehicle app development platform, Pleos Playground, to design ideas that deliver differentiated value to customers and build apps that can run in an actual vehicle environment.

Teams may apply by submitting a service proposal. Those that pass a document screening in November will advance to an app demonstration evaluation in December, after which final award recipients will be selected.

Hyundai Motor and Kia plan to select 10 winning teams across categories including grand prize, excellence award and special award, distributing a total purse of 51 million won ($38,400).

Winning teams will develop and refine their exhibition content before operating booths at a developer event early next year, where they will present final demonstrations and take part in an official awards ceremony.

"This contest is an opportunity for outside developers' creative ideas to be realized as actual in-vehicle services," a Hyundai Motor and Kia official said. "We will continue to support the development of diverse in-car services using vehicle data and work with developers to expand the in-vehicle app ecosystem."

Meanwhile, Hyundai Motor and Kia have been stepping up technology development to strengthen their future mobility capabilities. The companies recently signed an MOU with Hyundai Mobis, Hyundai Glovis, Mas Auto and Ride Flux at the Namyang Technology Research Center in Hwaseong, Gyeonggi Province, to pilot a Level 4 autonomous driving truck logistics transport project.


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