Hyundai Motor Group has officially opened its first user experience research hub in China, the UX STUDIO in Shanghai.

This facility serves as the key Asian node within the group's global UX innovation network, and its establishment as an open co-creation space represents a concrete step forward in Hyundai's "In China, For China, For the World" strategy.

Hyundai Motor Group's Head of Feature & CCS Business, Lee Jong-won, stated that automobiles have transcended their role as mere transportation, evolving into intelligent mobile spaces that carry users' daily lives.

He emphasized that user-centric experience design is now a critical component of a brand's core competitiveness.

The Shanghai hub, as a vital part of the global UX research network, will be tasked with the core mission of closely listening to the authentic voices of Chinese users and deeply integrating their needs into products and services.

To date, Hyundai has established a global UX co-creation matrix spanning Seoul, South Korea; Frankfurt, Germany; Irvine, USA; and now Shanghai, China.

The central goal of this network is to break down the barriers of closed research and development, enabling users to deeply participate in the entire R&D process from concept definition and prototype validation to mass production optimization.

The Chief Technology Officer for Hyundai Motor Group in China, Heo Jae-ho, explained that this global network embodies the core UX philosophy of "Your Voice is Our Way."

The Shanghai site holds significant strategic importance within the global system, serving as a forward base for precisely understanding Chinese user needs.

It will also feed the insights gained from the Chinese market back into the global R&D system, continuously advancing the strategic vision of being "Rooted in China, Serving China, and Empowering the World."

It is reported that the UX STUDIO Shanghai diverges from the traditional path of multinational automakers, which often involves localized fine-tuning of global solutions.

Instead, it achieves comprehensive localization across its operational team, collaborative ecosystem, and research topics.

The core of the operation and research teams consists of local talent with deep familiarity with domestic consumers' vehicle usage habits and preferences.

It collaborates with local academic institutions, such as the School of Management at Fudan University, to explore Chinese socio-cultural trends.

The studio also develops dedicated research topics around high-frequency local scenarios, such as mobility for multi-child families, commuting for female drivers, and short-distance urban travel, aiming to address the industry's "localization failure" challenges at their root.

Furthermore, the UX STUDIO Shanghai is not merely a regional site for China but a core source for the group's global function and service innovation.

The Vice President of Hyundai Motor Group and Managing Director of Hyundai Advanced Automotive Technology Development (Shanghai) Co., Ltd., Yang Feng, detailed that the Shanghai studio has established a complete research cycle from public insight to in-depth validation.

The first floor is an "Open Lab" accessible to the general public, featuring three sections for barrier-free participation in user research.

The second floor is an "Advanced Lab," an in-depth research space for invited users, equipped with professional R&D facilities for precise co-creation.

As a central site in the global UX R&D layout, the Shanghai hub shares a unified R&D methodology with other global centers while also exporting local insights to the global system, creating a two-way cycle of "global resources empowering local efforts, and local innovation feeding back to the global network."