Hyundai Cradle;
Optimism through Innovation
- WORDS
- LUCY DALE
4 minute read
Innovation. Growth. Progress. These concepts have temporarily vanished from our global vocabulary. COVID-19 has put the brakes on almost everything and the world is on pause. But this pause has also invited us to take a step back and ask some more important questions: Why are we creating? Why are we innovating? Where are we headed?
It’s about creating
meaningful change.
At Hyundai, we believe that the why is just as important as the what. Progress is not just about blindly moving forward. It’s about creating meaningful change. And for us, this is about finding better ways to move, reducing environmental impact and increasing productivity and happiness for all.
That’s why in 2017 we set up the Hyundai CRADLE.
It is a global innovation community that brings together the best minds and accelerates future automotive technologies. We focus on innovations that will increase the world’s mobility and drive humanity forward.
Hyundai CRADLE hubs are located in the world's most startup-friendly cities to tap into the immense talent pool from around the globe: Silicon Valley, Seoul, Beijing, Tel Aviv, and Berlin. CRADLE partners and collaborates with a variety of businesses, from startups to VCs, universities, and research groups.
For us, progress isn’t restricted to automotive tech, but human mobility solutions in general.
That’s why we’re investing not only in autonomous driving but artificial intelligence, smart cities, new materials, robotics, and developing the most efficient sources of green energy.
ELEVATE is a recent invention coming out of CRADLE Silicon Valley. It is a car that can walk with four robotic legs, aiming to boost the ability of first responders in hard-to-access places such as disaster scenes.
The intention behind this ‘walking car’ was not just to wow the world, but to overcome genuine barriers to human mobility.
It’s this kind of game-changing technology that CRADLE seeks. We look for disruptive innovations that can deliver value and open new possibilities for humanity. The human-centered approach enables us to improve the lives of others and even change the world through technology.
The world has never been so in need of change and this is why we believe that innovation, growth, and progress are not activities to be halted, but rather to be reimagined. After all, innovation is not just a novelty if it’s solving real problems. Growth is not destructive if we’re growing in the right ways.
Now, more than ever, the world is in need of progress. But we need a why. We need a worthy goal. And for Hyundai, there is no more worthwhile cause than the advancement and betterment of humanity.