Lotte Innovate has set a goal to triple its mobility business by 2030, positioning it as a key driver of future growth. The company plans to commercialize proof-of-concept projects in autonomous driving and intelligent transportation systems (ITS) while accelerating its entry into international markets such as Malaysia and Mexico.
Kim Kyung-yeop, CEO of Lotte Innovate, stated at a press conference on October 19 during the '2026 ITS World Congress' in Gangwon Province, "Our goal is to grow the mobility business by more than three times by 2030." Currently, the mobility sector accounts for less than 10% of Lotte Innovate's total revenue.
Kim cited the commercialization of proof-of-concept projects and expansion into overseas markets as the basis for achieving this growth target. He explained that the company is transitioning from pilot projects to full-scale operations.
Yoon Tae-eun, head of the mobility division at Lotte Innovate, emphasized, "We are focusing on enhancing the technology of individual transportation systems while integrating them into a single service to improve safety and convenience in mobility."
The company is currently developing smart road infrastructure, including smart tolling and next-generation intelligent transportation systems (C-ITS), as well as operating autonomous shuttles and electric vehicle charging services through its subsidiary, EVSIS.
In the smart tolling sector, Lotte Innovate is advancing AI-based vehicle license plate recognition technology to facilitate its entry into international markets. Smart tolling technology collects tolls by recognizing vehicle license plates without the need for separate transponders.
In South Korea, the company has established 171 single-lane and 31 multi-lane high-speed toll systems, along with 909 vehicle image capture devices, holding a 74% market share in the vehicle image capture sector.
To enhance license plate recognition accuracy, Lotte Innovate is utilizing generative AI to create approximately 75,000 training images that can withstand adverse weather conditions and address issues like plate contamination and damage. This initiative aims to generate revenue in Southeast Asia and Latin America.
During the Gangneung ITS World Congress, the company unveiled its license plate detection and character recognition technology, which leverages high-performance GPU server farms and AI analysis. In the transportation infrastructure sector, Lotte Innovate is also enhancing its AI-based next-generation intelligent transportation system (C-ITS) technology.
Yoon noted, "Smart tolling is a field where we have developed the entire system in-house, making it suitable for export. There is demand for our technology in Southeast Asia and South America, and international interest in AI image capture devices is growing."
The autonomous driving initiative focuses on specialized services in tourist areas and underserved regions. Since receiving its first temporary operating permit in 2021, Lotte Innovate has developed a driverless autonomous vehicle and secured permission for speeds of up to 40 km/h starting in 2024. Over six years, the company has operated autonomous driving services across nine regions, accumulating 110,000 km of travel and serving 40,000 passengers.
Kim Kyung-yeop remarked, "In the mobility sector, there is a growing emphasis on safety over convenience. We aim to connect various technologies to ensure safe, convenient, and free movement, focusing on securing technology and building partnerships to create an ecosystem."
* This article has been translated by AI.
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