Hanwha Aerospace used its first appearance at NextRise 2026, South Korea's largest venture and startup exhibition in Seoul on June 18-19, to seek technology partners for development projects set to begin in the second half of this year. The company's portfolio spans autonomous driving AI, battery monitoring systems, counter-drone capabilities, and advanced aero engine materials - each opening doors for IT and development specialists with skills in embedded systems, sensor fusion, and real-time analytics.
Ground weapons: generator localization and battery intelligence
The largest cluster of projects sits in ground weapons. One priority is the localization of a 28-volt, 25-kilowatt vehicle DC generator for infantry fighting vehicles. Imported versions have created supply risks when foreign manufacturers discontinued production, so Hanwha Aerospace aims for a compact, lightweight domestic unit with efficiency above 95%. Battery health monitoring hardware is another focus. The company wants a system that tracks remaining capacity, charge-discharge cycles, and predicts battery life in real time - critical data for battlefield operations. Hanwha Aerospace has already supplied lithium-ion battery packs for Hanwha Ocean's next-generation submarines, using prismatic cells from Samsung SDI.
Unifying sensor streams for autonomous platforms
Advancing unmanned vehicle autonomy means integrating separate sensors - cameras, LiDAR, satellite navigation receivers - into a single AI processing unit. Hanwha Aerospace seeks a modular solution that can deploy across multiple vehicle types, consolidating data streams and enabling on-board decision-making. Building a unified AI unit that fuses these sensor feeds at low latency calls for deep expertise in embedded AI and real-time inference. Developers working on such systems can find structured guidance through an AI Learning Path for Software Developers.
Guided weapons and counter-drone demands
Localization extends to launcher ignition safety devices for systems like the Chunmoo multiple-launch rocket. These devices generate high voltage upon launch command and control missile ignition through critical circuitry - components previously imported. Hanwha Aerospace wants domestic partners to develop them within roughly a year. Separately, as low-altitude drone attacks reshape modern warfare, self-propelled artillery platforms must add counter-drone capabilities. The company is looking for an integrated system that uses radar to detect and track drones and then engages them using the artillery's main weapon, a challenge that merges sensor integration with fire-control software.
Aero engines: heat, precision, and surface quality
In the aero engine business, higher turbine inlet temperatures promise better efficiency for next-generation environmentally friendly engines, but existing materials can't withstand the heat. Applying new coatings often increases surface roughness, reducing efficiency. Hanwha Aerospace needs technologies that maintain precise surface finishes during manufacturing. Engine nozzles, installed in quantities of 60 to 80 per stage, illustrate the same tension: casting three or four nozzles as a single precise component could cut costs and lead times, but holding surface quality inside confined geometries remains a technical barrier.
The company also organized a joint booth with 21 suppliers from its K9 howitzer and Chunmoo programs, including IT Science (driver instrumentation) and Duksan Nepcores (anti-jamming GPS receivers). A Hanwha Aerospace official said, "We welcome collaboration proposals from companies with technological capabilities regardless of their industry sector or size." Technology proposals can be submitted through the Open Innovation section of the Hanwha Aerospace website through July 31.
Why this matters for IT and development
The projects stretch across real-time embedded AI, sensor fusion algorithms, battery analytics, and safety-critical hardware design. Each presents a direct opportunity for software developers, data engineers, and systems architects to contribute to defense and aerospace systems. The July 31 submission deadline gives teams a concrete window to propose solutions that reduce supply chain risks and add new autonomous capabilities to military platforms.
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