Phenikaa Group and South Korean Kakao Mobility have agreed to foster technology cooperation on mobility platforms including autonomous driving, high-precision mapping, and artificial intelligence (AI) technology.

This consensus followed a Memorandum of Understanding inked recently between the two companies in the capital. Phenikaa Group announced the partnership on Tuesday.

Kakao Mobility and Phenikaa’s collaboration will be initiated primarily in the mobility as a service (MaaS) sector, where they possess mutual strengths. Under the MOU, Kakao will share its platform development expertise to support Phenikaa’s goal to have the best MaaS platform in South East Asia.

The two businesses are also planning a joint research project in future mobility, covering major technologies including autonomous driving, HD mapping, and AI, which are the core strengths of Phenikaa-X - an affiliate of Phenikaa Group.

The two parties also aim to make inroads into the Southeast Asian region by leveraging and connecting each other’s technologies and services. Specifically, Kakao Mobility will consider integrating the BusMap app of Phenikaa MaaS into its platform, offering support for Vietnamese visitors to Korea.

“Both companies are committed to developing autonomous driving and AI technologies, which are crucial elements of future industrial infrastructure,” said Ryu Gung-seon, CEO of Kakao Mobility.

He added that the two companies would embark on this broad-spectrum collaboration to advance the mobility industries in Korea and Viet Nam while boosting bilateral tourism flows by meeting the mobility demands of their visitors.

Le Anh Son, Deputy Director of Phenikaa Group cum CEO of Phenikaa-X said: “In recent years, Phenikaa Group has been focussed on developing smart transportation, including core technologies related to autonomous vehicles, high-definition maps and bus management systems."

"Cooperation in researching and developing products is an important step to promoting each party's strengths. Phenikaa Group hopes that Kakao Mobility will become a strategic partner to jointly bring the most advanced products for smart transportation to the market," Son said.

Phenikaa Group has a wide presence across industrial production, technology, education, scientific research, medical healthcare and trade.

The group has also expanded its investment, especially in smart mobility by building upon Phenikaa-X, its robotics & autonomous driving subsidiary, and Phenikaa MaaS, which operates BusMap, Viet Nam’s most popular public transportation app.

Phenikaa-X was founded by a research lab of Phenikaa University, Phenikaa Group’s academic institution, and showcased the country's first level-4 self-driving vehicle in 2021. — VNS