Infineon and Hyundai Enter Strategic Cooperation and Inaugurate Joint Innovation Center
Business & Financial Press
March 15, 2007
Joint news release by Infineon and Hyundai
Munich, Germany, and Seoul, Korea – March 15, 2007 – Infineon Technologies AG (FSE/NYSE: IFX), a leading semiconductor supplier to the automotive industry,and Hyundai Motor Company, the world’s sixth largest car manufacturer, today announced a strategic cooperation for the development of automotive electronics. The companies also opened a joint innovation center today.
Hyundai Motor Company selected Infineon as a semiconductor partner for this long term strategic cooperation in order to develop automotive electronic system solutions for Hyundai and Kia vehicles. The cooperation includes the development of automotive electronics system architecture and related semiconductors, along with enhancements of Hyundai’s current automotive electronic systems, based on the synergy of Hyundai’s automotive electronics technology and Infineon’s semiconductor know-how.
In addition to Infineon’s complete chipset solutions and broad technology portfolio, including power semiconductors,
microcontrollers and
sensors, the company will contribute its expertise in automotive semiconductor development, in-depth application engineering know-how and high quality based on its zero-defect culture and continuous quality improvement.
Hyundai’s responsibilities will include automotive electronic system architecture development, electronic system partitioning and electronic control units (ECU) design, and evaluation with innovative cost optimization, rigorous quality control and proper time-to-market
.
The two companies today also opened a joint innovation center. The Hyundai Infineon Innovation Center (HIIC) will work on the functional and cost optimization of car electronics systems, as well as develop automotive electronic system architecture, including the design of ECU and application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs) in
powertrain, safety and body applications for Hyundai and Kia vehicles.
The innovation center is located at the Yangjae-dong headquarters of the Hyundai-Kia Automotive Group in Seoul and will be co-managed by both companies. At the beginning, development activities will focus on automotive electronics system architecture and related automotive electronics products in body applications, such as light modules, HVAC (heating, ventilating and air conditioning) and door modules. The companies expect the first jointly developed products to be used in Hyundai and Kia cars starting 2010.
Based on semiconductor technology, the companies will cooperatively analyze existing Hyundai and Kia applications regarding cost optimization and system quality improvement by integration of functions and reduction of components using application specific standard products (ASSPs) or
ASICs.
Hyundai and Infineon agreed not to disclose financial details regarding their cooperation and joint innovation center.
”With the ever-increasing amount of semiconductors in cars, a close cooperation between automotive manufacturers and semiconductor manufacturers is absolutely indispensable, if we want to ensure maximum reliability and durability of electronics systems in our vehicles,” said Dr. Hyun-Soon Lee, Chief Technology Officer and President of the Hyundai-Kia R&D Division about the strategic partnership.
“Today’s major challenge facing the automotive industry is to offer the highest quality with innovative technologies at attractive prices,” added Peter Bauer, Member of the Board and head of the Automotive, Industrial and Multimarket business group at Infineon Technologies. “Partnership at every stage in the value chain must be very close with the semiconductor manufacturer to be involved early in the predevelopment phase. Being selected by the Hyundai-Kia Automotive Group to enter this strategic cooperation allows Infineon to understand the Hyundai-Kia application roadmap to offer the right product at the right time into the market.”
Market position of Hyundai and Infineon
Hyundai-Kia Automotive Group is the world’s sixth largest car manufacturer with a commitment to quality and value innovation. Market research company Strategy Analytics confirms in its current market study that Infineon is the world’s number two supplier of automotive semiconductors with a 9.3 percent share of the global market in the year 2005. Also according to Strategy Analytics, Infineon is the #1 provider of automotive power products in the automotive semiconductor industry, holding a market share of 22.5 percent in 2005.
Further information on the automotive electronics activities of Infineon is available at
www.infineon.com/automotive
About Hyundai
Established in 1967, Hyundai Motor Co. has grown into the Hyundai-Kia Automotive Group which was ranked as the world’s sixth largest automaker in 2005 and includes over two dozen auto-related subsidiaries and affiliates. Employing over 68,000 people worldwide, Hyundai Motor posted US$58.1 billion in sales in 2005 (on a consolidated basis). Hyundai is a full-line manufacturer whose cars, trucks and buses are sold in 193 countries through some 5000 dealerships and showrooms. Further information about Hyundai Motor Co. and its vehicles is available at
http://www.hyundai-motor.com
Hyundai media contacts:
Worldwide HQ:
Oles Gadacz
phone: +82 2-3464-2154;
About Infineon
Infineon Technologies AG, Munich, Germany, offers semiconductor and system solutions addressing three central challenges to modern society including energy efficiency, mobility and security. In fiscal year 2006 (ending September), the company achieved sales of Euro 7.9 billion (including Qimonda sales of Euro 3.8 billion) with approximately 42,000 employees worldwide (including approximately 12,000 Qimonda employees). With a global presence, Infineon operates through its subsidiaries in the US from San Jose, CA, in the Asia-Pacific region from Singapore, and in Japan from Tokyo. Infineon is listed on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange and on the New York Stock Exchange (ticker symbol: IFX). Further information is available at
www.infineon.com.
Information Number
INFAIM200703.049
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(from the left)Woong-Chul YANG, Vice President of Hyundai-Kia Electrics Development Center, Dr. Hyun-Soon LEE, President of Hyundai-Kia R&D Division, Peter BAUER, Member of the Management Board, Executive Vice President, Head of Automotive, Industrial and Multitasked business group at Infineon, Claus GEISLER, Senior Vice President and General Manager, Automotive Power, Infineon
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