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Area Development - Site Selection, Facility Planning and Workforce Development

Hyundai New Horizons Studio Plans Bozeman, Montana, R&D Lab

05/10/2022
Hyundai New Horizons Studio, a unit focused on the development of Ultimate Mobility Vehicles, will open a new Research, Development and Lab Center in Bozeman, Montana. The $20 million project is expected to create 50 jobs over the next five years.

The roughly 12,000 to 15,000 square foot facility will be part of MSU's 42-acre Innovation Campus development. As a part of this group, the company will have the opportunity to collaborate and work closely with the MSU student population as well as have access to state-of-the-art research and world class professors. NHS Bozeman will break ground starting in June 2022, while the first R&D office officially opens in June 2022.

"Montana is quickly becoming a hub for high-tech companies and entrepreneurs with a growing talent pool of skilled labor in the field of engineering, research and natural science," said Dr. John Suh, head of New Horizons Studio and vice president, Hyundai Motor Group. "Bozeman is a thriving and economic micropolitan city. Nestled near dozens of off-road trails with more than 150 miles of terrain and mountain access for UMV testing, it's the perfect fit for our new R&D Lab."

NHS Bozeman is an investment in Hyundai's Progress for Humanity vision, redefining transportation with accessible, sustainable and smart mobility solutions, according to company officials. The all-new facility will serve as NHS headquarters and will support prototyping, field testing and application development for UMVs.

"This is a great day for Montana. We moved quickly to capitalize on Hyundai Motor Group's interest in our state, make this a reality, and bring more good-paying jobs to Montana. An innovative, global company investing in manufacturing and innovation, Hyundai Motor Group's decision to bring its new facility to Montana and invest in our state is a testament to our business-friendly environment and Montanans' strong work ethic," said Montana Governor Greg Gianforte. "We're thrilled our close personal relationships, outstanding business climate, talented workforce, and quality of life are attracting international attention. Montana is open for business to the world."

The new facility will initially focus on refining the development, testing and deployment of two UMV models. The first is an uncrewed transforming intelligent ground excursion robot (similar to what was revealed at CES in 2021) designed to carry various types of payloads while traveling over treacherous terrain. The second, inspired by Elevate, is a larger (size of a two-person ATV) vehicle with robotic legs that can address challenging driving situations and potentially save lives as the first responder in natural disasters.

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