▶ Conducted design keyword presentation and integrated model design review at the first design fair after the launch of the ‘Integrated Design Center’

▶ CEOs of Hyundai Heavy Industries Group’s three construction equipment manufacturers agreed to ‘increase global competitiveness through customer-tailored designs’

▶ Efforts being rewarded by successive international design awards, with the launch of the first integrated model slated for 2025

The three construction equipment manufacturers of the Hyundai Heavy Industries Group (Hyundai Genuine, Hyundai Construction Equipment, and Hyundai Doosan Infracore) have started strengthening their design capabilities as a way to maximize their synergistic effects.

On May 8, Hyundai Genuine announced that the three construction equipment manufacturers recently held a design fair for an integrated model scheduled to be released in 2025 at the Design Studio located in the Incheon Global R&D Center, the headquarters of Hyundai Doosan Infracore. The fair was attended by about 50 people including Vice-Chairman Sohn Dong-youn and President Cho Young-chul of Hyundai Genuine; CEO Oh Seung-hyun of Hyundai Doosan Infracore; and CEO Choi Cheol-gon of Hyundai Construction Equipment, as well as key purchasing and sales personnel from both companies.

The fair featured the presentation of design-related keywords that both companies should pursue in the future, design reviews of the integrated model, and discussions on various topics such as design elements that could lead to consumer convenience and sales increase.

Vice-Chairman Sohn of Hyundai Genuine said, “Each company must ensure that their products adequately express the identity that it must pursue over the long term under the coordination of the Design Center.” President Cho said, “The integrated model to be released in 2025 must be a product that can further enhance the global competitiveness of all the three companies,” adding, "Please do your very best to create designs desired by the market and customers."

In November of last year, Hyundai Genuine established the Design Center that integrated the design organizations of the two companies to strengthen its product design capabilities. Composed of construction equipment product design experts, the Integrated Design Center is in charge of designing new models for both Hyundai Construction Equipment and Hyundai Doosan Infracore, as well as designing concept models that express their respective identities and incorporate new technologies in addition to creating integrated models.

In line with global trends, the Integrated Design Center is concentrating on design development for the areas that customers prioritize when purchasing products. Global companies are paying attention to the ergonomic interior design of seats and control levers, among others, so that equipment operators can feel comfortable when they have to work in rough areas for a long time, unlike automobile drivers.

Most notably, the Integrated Design Center recognizes that customers looking for a small excavator prioritize work convenience over equipment performance and reflects the variable when developing a small model design, thereby winning awards at world design events successively.

Hyundai Doosan Infracore's 5-ton mini excavator (DX55R) won the Finalist award at the 'IF Design Award 2022' announced last month while Hyundai Construction Equipment's next-generation mini excavator series (HX35Az, HX40A, HX48Az) won the Winner award at the 'Red Dot Award: Product Design 2022.' Ergonomically designed, both of those products received favorable reviews for the cabin design that has improved the operator's convenience significantly.

A Hyundai Genuine official said, “To compete with the world’s top-tier companies, we need to secure not only product quality but also design capabilities that reflect customer needs,” adding, "We will do everything in our power to launch products with innovative, comfortable designs through continuous investment and increased design manpower."  <End>

■ Photo

1) The three construction equipment manufacturers (Hyundai Genuine, Hyundai Construction Equipment, and Hyundai Doosan Infracore) held an integrated model design fair in the Design Studio located in Incheon Global R&D Center, the headquarters of Hyundai Doosan Infracore, in the presence of key executives and staff. (President Cho Young-chul of Hyundai Genuine CEO, second from left; Hyundai Genuine CEO Sohn Dong-youn, third from left; and Hyundai Construction Equipment CEO Choi Cheol-gon, fourth from left)

2) Hyundai Doosan Infracore’s 5-ton mini excavator (DX55R), which won the Finalist award at the ‘IF Design Award 2022’