Jaeyong Lee’s non-stop field management… Securing future technology, survival problem

Samsung Electronics Vice Chairman Lee Jae-yong (photo) presided over the CE (consumer electronics) division and IM (information technology, mobile) division’s presidents’ meeting on the 6th and said, “Securing future technologies is a matter of survival”.

Vice-Chairman Lee reviewed the status of future technology research and development (R&D) such as next-generation mobile communications (6G) and artificial intelligence (AI) at a meeting held at Samsung Research in Umyeon-dong, Seoul. Major presidents of the set (finished product) business and prior technology related divisions attended, including Kim Hyun-seok, CEO of CE Division, Ko Dong-jin, CEO of IM Division, Choi Yun-ho, Head of Management Support Office, and Sebastian Seung, Director of Samsung Research.

Vice-Chairman Lee stressed, “As a leading company, we must take responsibility for tens of times and hundreds of times as a leading company,” after receiving a report on the progress of 6G technology research, server technology acquisition, and AI technology product application status. did. In August 2018, Samsung Electronics selected AI, next-generation mobile communications, and automotive semiconductors as’future fostering projects’ and announced an investment plan worth 180 trillion won.

Vice-Chairman Lee visited the semiconductor plant in Pyeongtaek, Gyeonggi-do on the 4th, and inspected the 5G network equipment production facility in Suwon on the 5th, and continued on-site management for three consecutive days until this day. In the industry, it is evaluated that Vice Chairman Lee is showing a strong will to foster new businesses in the post-corona era. He recently revealed his intention to grow the industrial ecosystem with a sense of mission, saying, “It is a natural responsibility to discover new businesses, expand the business, and grow the company.”

Vice Chairman Lee Jae-yong who found’Samsung’s brain’… Fostering AI 6G in the future
On-site inspection for future business for 3 consecutive days

Samsung Electronics Vice Chairman Lee Jae-yong has been making a’wide step’ to inspect future business from the beginning of this year. From the first business day (4th) of the new year, for three consecutive days, I visited the sites related to the foundry (consignment of semiconductor production), 5G network equipment, artificial intelligence (AI) and 6G technology. These are businesses that are being intensively fostered because they believe that the future of Samsung is at stake. It is analyzed that Vice Chairman Lee is preparing a strategy to dominate the market even in the post-corona era, taking care of the’business that can be ranked first in the future’.

Visit to the future technology research organization

On the 6th, Vice Chairman Lee presided over a meeting of the president’s team in the finished product (set) division at Samsung Research in Umyeon-dong, Seoul. Inside and outside Samsung, they are paying attention to the background in which the meeting place was decided by Samsung Research. Samsung Research has a global AI center, a next-generation communication research center, and a software innovation center under its subsidiaries. It is a place called’Samsung’s Brain’ because it is in charge of R&D of advanced technologies in future promising fields.

It can be seen that Vice Chairman Lee showed special interest in AI technology that will be responsible for Samsung’s future. He also held a’Technology Strategy Meeting’ at Samsung Research in September 2019 to check the status of next-generation technology R&D. Vice Chairman Lee recently emphasized the importance of developing future technologies to overcome the uncertain global business environment, saying, “I feel a sense of crisis while seeing the fall of leading European and US telecommunications companies and the frightening pursuit of Chinese companies.”

Samsung’s future finds the spot

There is also an analysis that the’Samsung’s future’ can be seen at the business site visited by Vice Chairman Lee this year. On the 4th, Vice Chairman Lee visited the extreme ultraviolet (EUV) foundry line being built in Pyeongtaek, Gyeonggi Province. On the 5th, he visited the 5G network equipment production site in Suwon. System semiconductors, including foundries, AI, and 5G are business groups that will be responsible for future Samsung after the current flagship products such as memory semiconductors, TVs, and smartphones. Samsung is putting all of its capabilities into raising these businesses to become the’#1 in the next generation’.

After returning to the front line of management in 2018, Vice Chairman Lee has also focused on securing competitiveness in related businesses and recruiting talent through overseas business trips, meetings with overseas businessmen, and exchanges with global scholars.

Results are also showing. In October 2019, a representative example was winning a 5G network equipment contract from Japanese telecommunications company KDDI. Vice-Chairman Lee met KDDI executives in Japan in May 2018 and started 5G sales. President Sebastian Seung (Professor of Princeton University in the U.S.), who was appointed as the head of Samsung Research in June of last year, was also hired by Vice Chairman Lee on a business trip to Canada in March 2018.

Emphasis on “Samsung develops with society”

In recent management moves, Vice Chairman Lee’s interest in Samsung’s social responsibility is strong. When he visited the Pyeongtaek semiconductor business site on the 4th, he showed his willingness to create a semiconductor ecosystem by inviting representatives of five partners, including Dongjin Semichem, Soulbrain, Wonik IPS, PSK, and ASML. At the meeting held at Samsung Research that day, Vice Chairman Lee said, “Let’s focus on enhancing the company’s value and contributing to society.”

A Samsung official said, “Recently, Vice-Chairman Lee’s actions show a sense of responsibility to make a greater contribution to the nation and society through bold challenges to future technologies.” “I will make a resolution and promise to make a Samsung suitable for Korean nationality. It’s been practiced from the beginning,” he explained.

Reporter Hwang Jeong-soo [email protected]