A joint team from Kookmin University (President Jeong Seung Ryul), currently participating in the fourth cohort of “SEA:ME”—a global talent development program for future automotive software jointly operated by Kookmin University and the Volkswagen Group Woori Foundation—has won the grand prize at the international autonomous driving competition “Bosch Future Mobility Challenge (BFMC) 2026.”

BFMC 2026 was held in Cluj-Napoca, Romania, from May 16 to 20. This competition brings together undergraduate and graduate students from around the world to develop their own algorithms using 1:10 scale autonomous model cars and compete in technical skills by navigating real-world road conditions on a track designed as a miniature smart city. This year, 57 teams from around the world participated in a fierce competition.

The Kookmin University joint team consisted of fourth-year SEA:ME students from universities comprising the Future Automotive Consortium of the College of Innovation and Convergence in Advanced Fields (COSS). The team included Kim Ki-hoon and Oh Young-kyo from Kookmin University, Jang Dong-min and Choi Min-hyuk from Inha University, and Kang Ju-heon from Ajou University, with Professor Kim Jong-Chan of Kookmin University serving as their advisor. The team received high praise for equipping their vehicle with a proprietary localization algorithm, which enabled precise and stable driving performance even under conditions of unstable on-site networks and GPS signals.

This victory is particularly significant as it represents the culmination of the SEA:ME program’s steadily accumulating achievements in international competitions. Students from the second cohort of SEA:ME placed third in the 2024 competition, while students from the third cohort won the “Best Newcomers Award” at the 2025 competition. With this victory at BFMC 2026, students from Kookmin University and the participating universities have finally reached the top of the world, proving their global competitiveness in autonomous driving.

△ The “SEA:ME” coalition team from Kookmin University’s Innovation Convergence College, which took home the top prize at BFMC

Professor Shin Sung-Hwan of Kookmin University, who serves as the Director of the Future Automotive Consortium at the Innovation Convergence College, stated, “I now have the confidence and conviction that the future talent who will lead South Korea’s autonomous driving technology can take the lead on the global stage.” Kookmin University students Kim Ki-hoon and Oh Young-kyo, who participated in the competition, shared their thoughts, saying, “The efforts and cooperation of our team members, who persevered to the very end despite fierce competition, were the driving force behind our victory,” and added, “We were able to learn a great deal and grow through this competition.”

Meanwhile, SEA:ME is a global talent development program specializing in mobility software, jointly operated by the Volkswagen Group Woori Foundation and Kookmin University. It is recognized as an innovative educational model that strengthens the core human infrastructure for Korea’s future mobility by providing selected students with on-site training in Germany. Kookmin University plans to continue cultivating key talent in the future mobility sector through SEA:ME.