Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. has announced the opening of the R5 research institute within Samsung Digital City in Suwon, Gyeonggi Province in Korea. Oh-Hyun Kwon and JK Shin, co-CEOs of Samsung Electronics, presided over the opening ceremony which was attended by Moon-soo Kim, the Governor of Gyeonggi Province; Tae-young Yeom, Suwon City mayor; and other important dignitaries.
R5 is the fifth Samsung research institute to be constructed within its Digital City in Suwon. With R5, Samsung is taking the next step in integrating its IT and Mobile divisions and focusing its R&D efforts on further driving innovation and creativity for its next-generation of smart devices and wearable technology.
JK Shin, president and CEO, head of IT & Mobile Communications, says: “The R5 facility will strengthen our R&D capabilities and enhance the speed and flexibility with which we respond to dramatically changing mobile markets. Our vision for the R5 facility is to empower the creativity of Samsung employees as they imagine and help shape the future of mobile technology and innovation.’
“R5 will become the centre of future mobile industry. We will fully support Samsung’s investment that will help to create new jobs,’ adds Governor Kim Moon-soo.
Two and a half years in the making, R5 comprises two 27-story towers which share a central atrium over five floors. The state-of-the-art building has a total area of more than 300,000 square metres and is almost one and a half times larger than R4, which opened in 2005. The research institute will focus on a number of core areas of R&D and business operations:
Specialist Development Laboratories
With a focus on mobile devices, these areas are dedicated to advancing standards certification, international certificates of Electromagnetic Compatibility (EMC), Bluetooth and Wi-Fi technology. A test lab focusing on antenna performance has been expanded and relocated into the new centre.
Audio Development
The facility houses a new integrated audio quality test chamber and a foreign electric wave shield room. The centre is now able to test specific frequency bands by completely blocking all external communication networks to mimic the conditions of regions around the world.
Closer Collaboration
R5 allows for employees to simultaneously connect to 60 overseas offices and local subsidiaries through 150 video conference rooms and a large-scale auditorium that seats 700 people. These facilities ensure real-time response capabilities for constantly evolving market conditions.
Eco-friendly Design and Responsible Sourcing
R5 is designed to maximise energy efficiency with over 90% of the lighting (excluding highly specialised lighting) using energy-saving LEDs that consume 40% less power than ordinary lighting systems.
Employee Wellbeing
A large fitness centre, swimming pool, indoor climbing wall and squash courts have been installed, and additional rooms reserved for pregnant women are available to create the most comfortable and convenient working conditions possible.
Co-Work Lab
This area allows researchers to meet and conduct research in tandem and there are over 1,000 general purpose meeting rooms.
Michelle Potgieter, head of Corporate Marketing and Communications at Samsung Electronics South Africa says, “It is this continued R&D, and the strong commitment to eco-friendly design and specialist development, that we believe will continue to position us as the market leader both locally and globally – with products that are innovative and are built to meet the exact needs of our consumers. We are delighted at the opening of this new centre – which builds on Samsung’s legacy of innovation and leading technology.’
