Hyundai, through its global open innovation hub Cradle, continues to drive innovation in sustainable materials by developing, together with Uncaged Innovations, a world leader in biomaterials, alternatives to animal leather for automotive interiors, produced from cereal by-products.
This partnership promoted by Hyundai involves participation in the development of high-performance alternatives using biomaterials capable of replacing traditional leather materials.
The result is an innovative product that reduces resource use in various domains, with 95% less greenhouse gas emissions, 89% less water, and 71% less energy compared to animal-derived leather, without compromising texture, durability, or premium quality.
“The grain protein-based leather alternative from Uncaged caught our attention due to its unique molecular structure and configuration and the production process, which allows us to drastically reduce environmental impact while meeting the demanding quality and durability standards typical of Hyundai automotive interiors”, said Brendon Kim, Senior Vice President and Director of Hyundai Cradle in Silicon Valley.
The person in charge of the sustainable project at Hyundai also highlighted the use of natural resources in this alternative to animal leather project. “The Uncaged approach, which minimizes the use of chemicals and utilizes natural resources such as coffee bean husks for dyes, aligns perfectly with the sustainable materials strategy of the Hyundai Motor Group, which prioritizes the use of a higher biological content and minimal or residual use of chemicals.”
