Samsung announces new R&D partnership with Clemson, University of South Carolina
December 8, 2017
Five-year joint investment will advance high tech manufacturing research and product development, techniques that can be applied in Samsung home appliance facility in Newberry, SC
Samsung Electronics America announced a new research and development partnership with the state of South Carolina and its two largest universities, Clemson University and the University of South Carolina. Together with the state government, Samsung will create the Palmetto Consortium for Home Appliance Innovation [PCHAI], a robust R&D program designed to catalyze innovation, foster public/private collaboration, and nurture the next generation of advanced manufacturing professionals in South Carolina. The Consortium builds on Samsung’s existing manufacturing and customer care footprint in South Carolina.
“Samsung’s ambition is for South Carolina to become our U.S. hub for every stage in the home appliance lifecycle—from concept and R&D to manufacturing, quality assurance, distribution and customer care,” said Dr. Dochul Choi, Senior Vice President of R&D at Samsung Electronics America. “Today’s announcement is a down payment on that vision. By investing in R&D and the future of our workforce, we can better position Samsung and South Carolina to meet the high demands and desires of customers across America, our fastest growing and most important home appliance market.”
The creation of the Consortium comes six months after Samsung announced it would open a new state-of-the-art home appliance manufacturing plant in Newberry, South Carolina, where production of washers will begin in the first quarter of 2018. It will be a critical component in Samsung’s commitment to researching, developing and manufacturing quality products in South Carolina, and accelerate delivery of premium appliances to customers across the United States.
The mission of the new partnership, which will be implemented over five years, is to enable world class research into areas such as new consumer electronics, energy efficient technology, advanced manufacturing technology, sensor technology, and other areas that are core to the innovation and production of quality home appliances.
Samsung selected Clemson University and the University of South Carolina for the new partnership because of their nationally renowned research programs in engineering, information technology and computer science. They are the two largest universities in the state of South Carolina and are both classified as R1 Research Universities by the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education.
“Clemson University has a strong history of collaborating on R&D opportunities with the best companies in South Carolina and from around the world,” said Clemson President James P. Clements. “Clemson has significant assets and is prepared to make a strong commitment to helping ensure that Samsung is successful both in South Carolina and the world.”
“We are delighted to welcome Samsung to the Palmetto State,” said USC President Harris Pastides. “The University of South Carolina brings an array of expertise and experience to this new consortium—from engineering and computing to design and global business knowledge and are eager to get started on new innovations that benefit both consumers and our work force. Our researchers and students have a long track record of successful private sector partnerships, from Boeing to IBM, and we are committed to helping bring new technologies to market.”
Samsung has already begun recruiting talent for its Newberry facility, having hosted seven job fairs and built an entire curriculum for workforce training since its announcement in June 2017. More than 350 employees have been hired to date, and by 2020 the plant will create nearly 1,000 local jobs. Samsung’s investment in the site – set to reach $380M by 2022 – underscores the company’s belief in the importance of a strong foundation in the community and a growing U.S. footprint.
In addition to its facility in Newberry, Samsung operates a call center in Greenville, South Carolina, that supports 800 full time and contracted jobs. The company’s recent investments in the U.S. total over $10 billion, including:
- Acquiring Connecticut-based HARMAN International for $8 billion, Samsung’s largest acquisition to date that positions the company to be a leader in the connected car market
- Committing $1.2 billion to U.S.-based Internet of Things R&D and investments over the next four years
- Committing $1 billion to expanding the Samsung Austin Semiconductor facility, established in 1996 and one of the largest foreign direct investments in the U.S. and the largest ever in Texas
- Acquiring Dacor, adding the luxury home appliance company’s Los Angeles headquarters and 240 employees to Samsung’s operations
About Samsung Electronics America, Inc.
Headquartered in Ridgefield Park, N.J., Samsung Electronics America, Inc. (SEA), is a recognized innovative leader in consumer electronics, mobile devices and enterprise solutions. A wholly owned subsidiary of Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd., SEA is pushing beyond the limits of today’s technology and providing consumers and organizations with a portfolio of groundbreaking products in appliances, home entertainment, Internet of Things, mobile computing, smartphones, virtual reality, wireless infrastructure and wearables, in addition to offering leading content and services related to mobile payments, 360-degree VR video, customer support and more. Samsung is a pioneering leader in smartphones and HDTVs in the U.S. and one of America’s fastest growing home appliance brands. To discover more about Samsung, please visit www.samsung.com. For the latest Samsung news, please visit news.samsung.com/us and follow us @SamsungNewsUS.
