Samsung breaks ground on chip R&D centre, plans $15 bn investment

Samsung Electronics said it broke ground at a semiconductor research and development (R&D) complex in South Korea. It plans to invest about 20 trillion won ($15 billion) by 2028 at the new facility to drive leadership in chipset technology.
Samsung wearable processor Exynos W920
Samsung, the world’s largest memory chip maker and second-largest chip contract manufacturer, said the new facility at Giheung, south of Seoul, will lead advanced research on next-generation devices and processes for memory and system chips, as well as development of new tech based on a long-term roadmap.

“Samsung Electronics is seeking to overcome the limits of semiconductor scaling,” Samsung said in a news statement.

Today’s groundbreaking ceremony was attended by Samsung Electronics Vice Chairman Jay Y. Lee, President and CEO Kye Hyun Kyung, President of the Memory Business Jung-Bae Lee, President of the Foundry Business Siyoung Choi and President of the S.LSI Business Yong-In Park, along with more than 100 employees.

“We need to continue our tradition of investing pre-emptively and emphasizing technology,” Jay Lee said during the ceremony.

Lee later met chip business employees and met with executives to discuss ways to secure technology to expand semiconductor leadership, Samsung said.