Kim Hyun-bin began his journalism career at Arirang TV from 2012 to 2017, specializing in defense, foreign affairs and the economy. In 2018, he joined The Korea Times, covering society and business, and is currently responsible for embassy affairs.
Samsung chief meets Elon Musk for partnership in autonomous driving, system chips
Samsung Electronics Executive Chairman Lee Jae-yong, third from left, poses with Tesla CEO Elon Musk, center, and other executives at the Samsung Semiconductor U.S. R&D Labs in Silicon Valley, U.S., Thursday. From left are Tesla Vice President Karn Budhiraj, Tesla CTO Andrew Baglino, Lee, Musk, Samsung Electronics DS Division President Kyung Kye-Hyun, Samsung Electronics Foundry Business President Choi Si-young and Samsung Electronics DSA Vice President Han Jin-man. Courtesy of Samsung Electronics
By Kim Hyun-bin
By Kim Hyun-bin
Samsung Electronics Executive Chairman Lee Jae-yong met with Tesla CEO Elon Musk at Samsung Semiconductor U.S. R&D Labs in Silicon Valley, Thursday to discuss cooperation in the future advanced industrial field including autonomous driving semiconductor production, the company said Sunday.
This was the first private meeting between the two.
Musk is a leader among innovative companies in the fields of advanced technology including next-generation satellite communication (Starlink), space exploration (SpaceX), next-generation mobility (Hyperloop), artificial intelligence (Neuralink, OpenAI) in addition to Tesla, the world's largest electric car company.
Samsung and Tesla are actively promoting exchanges for the development of next-generation IT technology, including joint development of semiconductors for fully autonomous vehicles.
The Korean tech giant is increasing its influence in the automotive semiconductor market by winning orders for high-performance semiconductor consignment production from companies such as Nvidia and Mobileye.
Lee returned to Korea Friday from a business trip to the U.S. which lasted 22 days, making it his longest business trip since he assumed the position of chairman last October.
On April 20, the chairman left for the U.S. as part of President Yoon Suk Yeol's economic delegation, attending the U.S.-Korea Business Roundtable and state dinner, among other events.
Even after the official schedule was over, he remained in the U.S. and held a series of meetings with global CEOs.
The chairman met with CEOs of global pharmaceutical and bio-venture incubation companies including Johnson & Johnson CEO Joaquin Duato, BMS CEO Giovanni Caforio and Flagship Pioneering CEO Noubar Afeyan.
The chairman discussed ways to strengthen the competitiveness of the bio-business and explore new businesses through mutual cooperation. Afterward, he also met with employees of Samsung Biologics' North American sales subsidiary to check the global supply chain status and exchange ideas.
"The starting point is not important. Bold and persistent challenges determine the outcome," Lee said. "Let's relay the success DNA we had from semiconductors to the bio sector."
He also met with top executives from Microsoft and Google to discuss various cooperation plans for future business development.