On November 11, 2026, approximately 180 guests gathered at City-Garage St. Gallen for HYUNDAI FUTURE CITY. The Korean word “Hyundai” means “modern era”. Following its complete acquisition in 2026, Hyundai Motor Group now owns 100 percent of Boston Dynamics, the American robotics specialist. This puts industry flagships such as Spot and Atlas under its control. The invitation stated: “Meet researchers, thought leaders, and robotics pioneers such as Prof. Dr. Oliver Bendel and Nimrod Malinas. Discover what AI, robotics, and new mobility are already making possible today and what this means for us as human beings.” (Invitation letter from City-Garage St. Gallen) The two were interviewed on stage by Florian Kern. An avatar subsequently praised their contributions. Oliver Bendel has been studying such representations since the 1990s, particularly in connection with chatbots and AI agents. In 2001, he published his first definition of “avatar” in the “Lexikon der Wirtschaftsinformatik (Encyclopedia of Business Information Systems)”. The event also featured appearances by Gregor Bucher (Head of City-Garage), Martin Farner (Head of Sales at City-Garage), and Christoph Krienen (Brand Director Hyundai), who provided insights into the changing automotive industry. During dinner, the BellaBot transport robot moved around the room, collecting empty plates and glasses. Oliver Bendel had previously been a guest at City-Garage St. Gallen in 2017, alongside Salomé Kora, Stephan Altrichter, Gregor Bucher, and Ly-Ling Vilaysane. The event was hosted by Linda Fäh, Miss Switzerland 2009. Back then, the featured brand was Porsche rather than Hyundai. LEADER digital reported on the HYUNDAI FUTURE CITY in 2026 (Photo: Thomas Keller/City-Garage).
BY OLIVER BENDEL
