Hyundai Elevator has signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with GS Engineering & Construction (GS E&C) to jointly develop modular elevator technology for next-generation housing projects.
The agreement was signed on April 9 at Hyundai Elevator’s Smart Campus in Chungju, with key executives from both companies in attendance, including Hyundai Elevator CEO Cho Jae-chun and GS E&C CEO Huh Yoon-hong. The event also featured a technical briefing, a tour of the Smart Campus, and a visit to the Hyundai Asan Tower.
The partnership focuses on advancing technologies to support the expansion of modular apartment construction. Moving beyond conventional reinforced concrete buildings, the two companies plan to develop elevators specifically designed for modular housing. Their collaboration will extend across areas such as integrating modular construction methods with elevator systems, strengthening joint research and development, and applying detachable formwork structures.
The jointly developed modular elevator technology will first be deployed at GS E&C’s Siheung Geomo A-1BL project site. The project, a 14-story steel modular apartment complex—the tallest of its kind in Korea—will serve as a pilot case for the new system. The companies plan to gradually expand its application to additional projects.
Cho Jae-chun said modular elevators represent a new paradigm in construction, contributing not only to shorter project timelines and improved efficiency but also to enhanced safety, including efforts to reduce serious workplace accidents. He added that the collaboration aims to provide practical solutions to key challenges facing the construction industry.
Hyundai Elevator has been progressively applying modular construction methods from low-rise to high-rise buildings, demonstrating tangible benefits such as reduced construction time and improved productivity.
Modular elevator construction involves prefabricating key structural components in a factory and assembling them on-site in modular units. This approach significantly reduces on-site work and can lower high-altitude operations by up to 90%, improving safety conditions. It is also expected to cut installation time by up to 80%, compared with approximately 190 days required under conventional construction methods.
