“Technology is most powerful when it embraces all.”
This past July, the “2025 Barrier-Free App Development Contest” training camp was held at Hyundai AutoEver’s multipurpose community hub NEXT GROUND in Gangnam, Seoul. Inside the lecture rooms, unfamiliar and complex digital terms—OOP, FP, code modification, architecture, polymorphism, design patterns, UX/UI, and front-end technology—filled the air. Yet amid the dense technical language, a single line of text projected on the front screen captured everyone’s attention with its warmth: “Technology is most powerful when it embraces all.” In that moment, it became clear this was no ordinary college student training camp.

This training camp was held over two days for the finalist teams of this year’s Barrier-Free App Development Contest, who would go on to receive support for actual app development. At its center were eight university and graduate student teams, including EZ, which provides customized safe travel routes for children; Kkanbu, which designed an AI-powered senior employment support service; and SDA, which helps socially withdrawn individuals reintegrate into society.

In 2017, among the millions of apps available on global app stores, those designed for people with disabilities accounted for less than 1%. This figure was more than just a statistic—it was a warning signal highlighting the gaps faced by vulnerable groups in mobility, access to information, and everyday convenience. Hyundai AutoEver chose not to let this issue pass. Guided by its vision of “Creating a Better World with Digital Innovation,” the company launched a social contribution project to address these challenges for marginalized communities. That project became the Barrier-Free App Development Contest.

The starting point was tailored services for people with hearing and visual impairments. Over the years, however, the scope expanded to include vulnerable groups such as children with developmental disabilities, the elderly, and the socially withdrawn, evolving into a truly barrier-free program. Now in its ninth year, the contest has produced a total of 67 practical apps by 2024—all available for free on app stores for anyone to use. Building on these achievements, the Barrier-Free App Development Contest is establishing itself not only as Hyundai AutoEver’s flagship social contribution program, but also as a “platform for transforming the world” that reflects society as a whole.

The teams ultimately selected through document screening and interviews receive comprehensive support for development. Beginning with a training camp featuring high-quality lectures led by professional instructors—including Hyundai AutoEver employees—participants are provided with practical benefits such as KRW 5 million in development funding per team, online course vouchers, and expert mentoring. Above all, what distinguishes this contest is its “completion-based” structure, in which university and graduate students identify social issues and work through the entire process of addressing them via app development. From planning and mentoring to development and release, the experience becomes both a solid portfolio and a valuable career asset for participants.

Motivation lectures and mentoring sessions led directly by Hyundai AutoEver employees are also highly popular. Beyond app development skills, participants receive practical advice on job preparation and gain real-world insights from senior professionals, making the contest a true arena of inspiration. Through this process, they strengthen problem-solving, teamwork, collaboration, and social awareness—laying the foundation to grow into the next generation of IT talent with a barrier-free mindset.

The completed apps created by the eight teams selected in the 2025 contest will be released for free on app stores in February next year, with the journey culminating in a presentation and awards ceremony. However, Hyundai AutoEver sees this not as an end, but as a beginning, and is reviewing ways to provide follow-up support so the apps continue to be used and the participants continue to grow as IT talents with a barrier-free mindset. This is why the contest is not merely a “competition,” but a laboratory for social innovation that has been nurtured over the past ten years—and a platform that uses technology to transform the world.

Technology, which cannot shine on its own, becomes powerful when directed toward people and pursued with perseverance. The Barrier-Free App Development Contest has grown into a stage where youth creativity and technology come together to break down social barriers. Guided by its vision of “Creating a Better World with Digital Innovation,” Hyundai AutoEver will continue to drive change through social contributions that embrace community, safety, and sustainability.