Hyundai Motor Group has launched the Next Urban Mobility Alliance (NUMA), a national push to apply artificial intelligence and autonomous driving to build a more inclusive transportation ecosystem in South Korea.
Designed as an open alliance, NUMA brings together public agencies, universities and private companies to co-develop a cloud-based mobility platform. The initiative is backed by both public and private funding and is intended to speed up real-world deployment of AI-powered services, particularly for people with limited access to transport.
Hyundai outlined a three-phase roadmap for the alliance. First, partners will use AI to modernize local transportation networks, improving planning, routing and operations. Next, the group aims to roll out autonomous Mobility-as-a-Service (MaaS) offerings. In the final phase, NUMA envisions scaling AI-enabled mobility to support broader smart-city development.
The automaker first previewed NUMA in March at the event unveiling its new software brand, Pleos. The formal launch underscores the depth of collaboration already in place, with at least 31 participants signed on. Confirmed members include South Korea’s Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport; the Ministry of the Interior and Safety; Kia; Seoul National University; Yonsei University; and the Korea National University of Transportation.
Chang Song, president of Hyundai Motor Group, said the convergence of autonomous driving and AI is set to reshape daily life. He added that Hyundai’s goal as a founding partner is to advance inclusive mobility—connecting communities and improving access—while helping drive mobility transformation in cities globally.
Hyundai also highlighted projects aligned with NUMA’s mission. These include Shucle, an AI-driven demand-responsive transport service that uses dynamic routing for on-demand trips, as well as two solutions integrated with that technology: the R1 device and Nano Mobility.
By coordinating government, academia and industry around a shared, cloud-based architecture, Hyundai and its partners aim to move AI mobility from pilots to scaled services. If the roadmap holds, South Korea could see faster adoption of autonomous MaaS and the foundational systems needed for future smart cities.
