Samsung Electronics opens R&D center in Vietnam

Samsung Electronics Executive Chairman Lee Jae-yong tours a smartphone factory in Vietnam on Dec. 22. [SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS]

Samsung Electronics has opened a research and development center in Vietnam to conduct studies on mobile devices and network technology.

Executive Chairman Lee Jae-yong attended a ceremony celebrating the completion of the facility in Hanoi on Friday alongside with Roh Tae-mun, head of Samsung Electronics' mobile division, and Samsung Display CEO Choi Joo-sun.

Vietnamese politicians were also present, including Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh and Nguyen Xuan Thang, President of Ho Chi Minh National Academy of Politics.

The electronics maker said that the opening of the center means an elevation of importance of Vietnam not only as a manufacturing hub in Asia, but a site for research activities.

Vietnam is already home to Samsung Electronics' smartphone, TV and display panel factories in Ho Chi Minh, Bac Ninh and Thai Nguyen. The country’s smartphone factories are responsible for producing almost half of the company's Galaxy smartphones.

On the 11,603 square meters (2.9 acres) of land, the 16-story facility will have a floor area of 79,511 square meters (855,849 square feet) where 2,200 researchers will carry out projects for mobile device, network communication technologies, and software.

More specific areas of research include multimedia information processing technology and security for wireless network.

Samsung Electronics broke ground on the center in March, 2020 during the first wave of the coronavirus.

Chairman Lee toured smartphone and display factories near Hanoi on Dec. 22, the day he arrived in Vietnam.

BY PARK EUN-JEE [park.eunjee@joongang.co.kr]