Published: March 2026
Estimated reading time: 5–6 minutes
Hyundai Motor Group and Toray Industries have agreed to deepen their collaboration on advanced composite materials, signing a joint development agreement focused on carbon fiber technologies for next-generation mobility platforms.
The partnership will concentrate on the development of high-performance composite components that could be used in applications ranging from high-performance vehicles to specialized mobility platforms such as lunar exploration rovers and robotic systems.
The agreement was signed on October 24 at Hyundai Motor Group’s headquarters in Seoul, marking the latest step in a strategic relationship that began with an earlier cooperation agreement announced in April 2024.
Strengthening Collaboration in Advanced Materials
Under the new agreement, the two companies will work together across the entire composites value chain, covering research, development, manufacturing, and commercial deployment.
Hyundai Motor Group will lead the vehicle-level engineering work, including:
- system design integration
- structural performance evaluation
- application testing for mobility platforms
These activities will be conducted through Hyundai’s Materials Research & Engineering Centre, which focuses on next-generation material solutions for automotive and mobility systems.
Toray Group will contribute its expertise in carbon fiber technologies and advanced composite materials, developing intermediate materials and molded composite components suitable for industrial production.
Development and manufacturing activities will be supported by Toray’s global network, including:
- Toray Advanced Materials Korea
- Toray Advanced Composites (Netherlands)
- Euro Advanced Carbon Fiber Composites (Germany)
Together, these facilities will support the creation of new lightweight composite structures and mobility components.
Carbon Fiber Composites in Next-Generation Vehicles
Carbon fiber reinforced plastic (CFRP) has become increasingly important in the development of lightweight transportation systems.
Compared with conventional metal structures, composite materials offer several advantages:
| Property | Carbon Fiber Composites | Traditional Metals |
|---|---|---|
| Weight | Significantly lighter | Heavier |
| Strength-to-weight ratio | Very high | Moderate |
| Corrosion resistance | Excellent | Limited |
| Design flexibility | High | Lower |
For electric and performance vehicles, reducing structural mass is especially valuable because it can improve:
- energy efficiency
- acceleration performance
- vehicle handling
- driving range in electric vehicles
Hyundai and Toray have already been developing CFRP materials designed to improve safety and performance in mobility systems, and the new agreement expands these efforts into broader applications.
Mobility Beyond Conventional Vehicles
While high-performance vehicles remain a core focus, the collaboration also explores specialized mobility platforms.
These include potential applications in:
- lunar exploration vehicles
- robotic mobility platforms
- extreme-environment transportation systems
Such applications require materials that can withstand high structural loads while remaining extremely lightweight, making advanced composites an attractive solution.
Combining Automotive Engineering and Materials Expertise
Executives from both companies emphasized that the partnership is designed to combine vehicle engineering expertise with materials science innovation.
Heung-soo Kim, Executive Vice President and Head of Global Strategy Office at Hyundai Motor Group, described the agreement as an important milestone in the companies’ ongoing collaboration.
According to Kim, the partnership enables both organizations to coordinate their strengths across the entire development process—from research and development to industrial production.
Toray also views the collaboration as an opportunity to expand the application of its advanced material technologies.
Miki Terada, General Manager of the Advanced Composites Division at Toray Group, said the agreement represents a significant step forward in the partnership originally established in 2024.
Toray’s expertise in carbon fiber and composite processing technologies will support the creation of innovative material solutions tailored to emerging mobility platforms.
Covering the Entire Composite Development Cycle
A key feature of the agreement is its focus on full lifecycle collaboration.
Instead of limiting cooperation to material supply, the companies plan to coordinate activities across several stages of product development:
- Material research and formulation
- Component design and structural analysis
- Prototype manufacturing and testing
- Industrial-scale production
- Commercial deployment in mobility platforms
This integrated approach reflects a growing trend in the mobility sector, where materials development and vehicle engineering are increasingly intertwined.
Expanding Opportunities in Future Mobility
Hyundai Motor Group continues to invest in technologies that support emerging transportation systems, including:
- electrified vehicles
- autonomous mobility
- robotics platforms
- advanced materials engineering
By strengthening its partnership with Toray, the company aims to accelerate innovation in lightweight structures and high-performance composite components.
For Toray, the collaboration provides another opportunity to apply its carbon fiber expertise to new mobility markets, particularly those requiring advanced structural materials.
Looking Ahead
As transportation technologies evolve, materials science is becoming an increasingly important factor in vehicle performance and design.
Partnerships like the one between Hyundai Motor Group and Toray illustrate how automotive manufacturers and material suppliers are working together to develop lighter, stronger, and more efficient structural solutions.
From high-performance vehicles to specialized exploration platforms, carbon fiber composites are expected to play a growing role in the next generation of mobility systems.