Han Ji-hyeong, CEO of a2z "Our competitor is not a domestic, but a global autonomous driving company" > News (주)오토노머스에이투지

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In the era of internal combustion engines, car parts refer to engines and transmissions, but in the era of future cars, autonomous driving solution developers also belong to auto parts companies in a broad sense. A leading company in the autonomous driving solution market, which is just passing through the early stages, is located in Daegu-Gyeongbuk.

The main character is Autonomous a2z (hereafter a2z), headquartered in Kyungil University, Gyeongsan, Gyeongsangbuk-do. Founded in 2018 by four engineers from Hyundai Motor Company, a2z, which was founded by CEO Han Ji-hyeong, who oversees management, and directors Oh Young-cheol (recognition), Huh Myeong-seon (judgment), and Yoo Byung-yong (control), each demonstrated their expertise in the three core autonomous driving elements. and is trying to win. 

I met a2z CEO Han Ji-hyeong at the Autonomous Driving Research Center at Kyungil University, who confidently said, "Autonomous driving technology is top-notch in Korea and needs to be compared with the world."

▶a2z seems to be inseparable from Kyungil University.

-I participated in CES held in Las Vegas in 2017 when I was working at Hyundai Motor Company, and I saw foreign companies boasting corporate values of thousands and trillions of dollars and thought, 'It's worth doing'. However, they were unable to put it into practice because of the wall of reality, but Kyungil University was able to start a business with a promise of full support, including vehicles, drivable land, various equipment, and recruitment of professors. Without Kyungil University a2z might not have been possible.

▶A demonstration test of self-driving paid transportation service is being conducted in Daegu, is there any result??

-Until the beginning of this year, the autonomous driving test was successfully conducted in Suseong Alpha City. From the second half of the year, the company plans to operate an autonomous driving shuttle that can be used by the public at Technopolis and Daegu National Industrial Complex using three Sonatas. If the last test was conducted only for people who were selected in advance, this test is a step forward because it is the same as the real one. Daegu is the second case of autonomous driving paid transportation service for the general public after Sejong. 

▶ There are concerns that jobs will be lost if autonomous driving taxis and buses become commercialized. 

- The most important prerequisite for the commercialization of autonomous vehicles is social acceptance. Autonomous driving taxis will be first deployed in mountainous areas on islands where regular taxis are difficult to reach. This is a service for the transportation vulnerable who live in an area where it is difficult to use general public transportation, and it is not a concept that takes away jobs. It will take a long time, but in the era of fully autonomous vehicles, jobs will not be reduced by creating another job that guides various services such as shopping and medical care in the car.

▶ Are there any difficulties in leading an autonomous driving startup? 

- It is difficult to attract investment smoothly compared to the US. In the case of the United States, investments are made by looking at the autonomous vehicle market from a long-term perspective. Domestic investment is not large as there is a tendency to hope for growth in a short period of time. The issue of manpower cannot be overlooked. In the field of autonomous driving, there are even fewer talented people with expertise. As an alternative, I think it would be more efficient to quickly develop human resources to have them learn practical skills while belonging to a company for about a year during the bachelor's course. 

▶If you have any other suggestions, please do so.

- It is time for a comprehensive autonomous driving demonstration project. Until now, the parts necessary for autonomous driving, such as vehicles, communication, and mobile, were nurtured separately, but now it is necessary to collect them in one place and test them. Only then will we be one step closer to the commercialization of autonomous driving. 

▶If you could diagnose the future car preparation situation of the local auto parts industry?

-Some first-tier suppliers have already visited them to discuss autonomous driving cooperation. You can't change a lot at once, so make small changes like this. Any company interested in autonomous driving wants to ask you to use it at any time. It is also possible to consider the direction in which internal combustion engine companies and autonomous driving companies form a consortium to prepare for new technology transfer.

▶Aren't there more competitors? 

-The autonomous driving market is a time when more companies need to develop technology and make various attempts to grow the pie. It should be approached as a partner rather than a competitor. No matter how well you do on your own, it is of no use unless the market itself grows.

▶ What is the last thing you want to say?

I hope that an active entrepreneurial atmosphere will be created in the future car field. However, it is true that it is not easy to take risks and take on challenges. As in the case of Kyungil University and a2z, if universities and corporations cooperate to provide sufficient safeguards, a lot of really good startups will come out. I wish there were more industry-university-research collaboration models.

채원영 기자 chae10@imaeil.com