Hyundai Motor hires former GM researcher to lead self-driving car center

SEOUL (Reuters) - Hyundai Motor Group 005380.KS has hired a former General Motors GM.N researcher to oversee its center to develop fully autonomous vehicles, joining other automakers and Silicon Valley giants in accelerating efforts on the fast-growing technology. Lee Jin-woo, 47, who has previously led autonomous driving technology development at General Motors (GM) for more than a decade, will head the newly established Intelligent Safety Technology Center - a combined research body for Hyundai Motor and its affiliate Kia Motors 000270.KS - starting on Monday. "The new centre will not only enhance existing Advanced Drive Assistance System technologies but also conduct research into artificial intelligence related self-driving car technologies with the aim of commercializing those technologies," Hyundai Motor said in a statement on Monday. Hyundai Motor and Kia, together the world's fifth-largest automaker, aim to develop highly automated vehicles by 2020 and fully autonomous vehicles by 2030. However, experts say Hyundai needs to do more to catch up with rivals in the self-driving car race.