AIIB Samsung focused on localization in China
Koh Dong-jin, president of Samsung Electronics' mobile communications business, speaks during a showcase event for the company's latest Galaxy S8 smartphone in Beijing, China, May 18. / Courtesy of Samsung Electronics
Tech heavyweight impressive in social responsibility
By Kang Seung-woo
The history of Samsung Electronics in China is long, dating back to 1992, and the past quarter century is filled with the tech giant’s localization drive to make it “more like a Chinese company than a Korean one.”
Finding Chinese talent, product planning, research and development (R&D) and manufacturing are all done in China to offer customized products and services to the Chinese.
In addition, its social contributions to the Chinese community are gaining traction in a variety of fields ranging from social welfare to education and environmental campaigns.
Thanks to its diverse efforts, Samsung ranked fourth in corporate social responsibility (CSR) in China in 2016 among the top 300 enterprises, comprised of 100 state-owned companies, 100 privately-held companies and 100 foreign companies, according to the Chinese Academy of Social Science. It came in fifth the previous year. Samsung has sat atop the list among foreign companies for four straight years.
Some 1,000 guests gather at a showcase event, held by Samsung Electronics on a special outdoor stage installed against the backdrop of Simatai, which is considered one of the most beautiful parts of the Great Wall of China. / Courtesy of Samsung Electronics
Galaxy S8 arrives in China
On May 18, Samsung held a showcase event for its flagship Galaxy S8 smartphone, in Beijing, seeking to tap deeper into the world’s largest handset market ― a week ahead of its official release in China.
“China has been a crucial market for Samsung since we penetrated into it in 1992,” Samsung’s mobile business chief Koh Dong-jin said during the event.
“The S8 and S8 Plus will offer the best mobile experiences for Chinese customers and become a beloved brand.”
The world’s largest smartphone maker introduced a selection of market-exclusive mobile services, as well as an enhanced user experience (UX) tailored to suit the lifestyle of Chinese consumers.
For example, the S8’s Bixby artificial intelligence assistant will enable users to search for locations, images or wines and shop through its partnership with China’s major online service providers. It also plans to add the Chinese language in the Bixby in the near future after Korean and English.
Plus, Samsung collaborated with some of China’s most popular gaming and video services, including Tencent and iQiyi, to optimize content to take full advantage of the Galaxy S8’s Infinity Display. Also, Weibo users are able to enjoy a 360-degree live video streaming service operated by Samsung’s Gear 360 virtual reality device.
Samsung also launched the special “Pirates of the Caribbean” Galaxy S8 variant in China.
Chinese people try out the Galaxy S8 and S8 Plus at a Samsung Electronics tryout zone. / Courtesy of Samsung Electronics
Chip plant in Xian
Samsung, the world’s No. 1 memory chipmaker, invested $7 billion to establish a three dimensional NAND flash facility in Xian, Shaanxi Province in 2014.
The Chinese city serves as a research hub for many IT companies and universities, and the western part of China, including Xian, is also becoming a production base for many global IT firms.
The Xian plant successfully formed a three-way global semiconductor production line, according to Samsung. It also runs a semiconductor factory in Austin, Texas, which is focused on system semiconductors.
It also laid the foundation for a more stable supply of memory products to its customers.
Samsung accounted for 37.1 percent of the global NAND flash market in the fourth quarter of 2016, according to market tracker DRAM eXchange. The NAND flash memory is used to store data on mobile devices like smartphones.
In addition, Samsung is projected to emerge as the world's No. 1 player in the chip industry over Intel, according to industry tracker IC Insights.
It forecast that Samsung may post sales of $14.9 billion in the second quarter hovering above Intel’s estimated $14.4 billion.
Big social contributor
Samsung offers its Smart School program to migrant children in China to bridge the IT accessibility gap between social classes and foster creative talent by providing digital tools like TVs, laptops and tablets as support-teaching equipment.
The environment of the Samsung Smart School not only allows students and teachers to better connect and communicate via tech devices, but also provides opportunities for marginalized students to build IT expertise, an essential employability skill, according to Samsung, which runs the program globally.
The company also launched the first Samsung Tech Institute in 2014 in Tianjin to provide electronic maintenance classes to students at vocational schools. Since then, eight Samsung Tech Institutes are in operation in China, which sees a growing interest in technology and job training. Samsung believes that these institutes, aimed at fostering a young and innovative workforce, will help address youth unemployment and improve awareness about technical jobs.
The company hopes that those programs will give equal opportunities to all individuals, regardless of their geographic location, educational background or financial situation.
Samsung’s global scientific innovation contest, the Solve for Tomorrow, began in China in 2013, drawing tremendous interest from Chinese high school and university students.
The annual program was designed to give students a platform to generate creative ideas, think outside the box and raise enthusiasm for science, technology, engineering, and mathematics.
Samsung’s first SONO Schools in China opened in 2013 in Guizhou and Shanxi provinces, considering that the country’s western provinces had low life expectancy and high infant and maternal mortality. It also plans to set up more schools in the country.
In order to lower maternal complications and mortality, the SONO School is found to help doctors to improve their skills related to pre-natal ultrasound devices.