SAMSUNG EUROPEAN INNOVATION CENTRE OPENS IN LONDON
Boost to UK creative economy to facilitate rapid innovations
London, UK – 6th December, 2013 – Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd., today announced the opening of its Samsung European Innovation Centre at Fleet Place in London’s financial and business district, situated among the world’s leading enterprises. The opening was attended by the Rt Hon Maria Miller MP, Secretary of State for Culture, and SP Kim, President & CEO of Samsung Electronics Europe.
London was selected in recognition of the city’s established creative and knowledge economy which will enable Samsung to grow its global capability in software and design innovation. The centre brings together a world-class team incorporating the disciplines of product innovation, product planning, software and design which will influence the company’s range of products and services for consumers and businesses across Europe.
Studying consumer and business behaviour, the centre will identify innovation projects that will enhance the lives of people through improved technology which can be more closely designed to match the needs of European consumers. Samsung’s robust approach to research and design has led to popular demand of its products worldwide including the Galaxy smartphone series, Ultra High Definition TVs and premium home appliances. The increasing investment in research and development activities is a part of the company’s global strategy – about US$10.8 billion was invested in this area in 2012.
Commenting on the opening, Secretary of State for Culture Maria Miller said: “Samsung Electronics choosing London for their European Innovation Centre highlights our global reputation as a hub for the world’s creative economy. This is great news for our economy and will help drive growth and jobs as well as strengthening the relationship between the UK and Korea.”
President & CEO of Samsung Electronics Europe SP Kim said: “Samsung is committed to investments in new technology and design and is proud to expand our contributions to the UK community. We recognise future trends demand ever-increasing integration of hardware and software and opening our European Innovation Centre in London is a strategic milestone in realising our ambitions to deliver rapid innovations that make technology available to everyone.”
About Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. is a global leader in technology, opening new possibilities for people everywhere. Through relentless innovation and discovery, we are transforming the worlds of televisions, smartphones, personal computers, printers, cameras, home appliances, LTE systems, medical devices, semiconductors and LED solutions. We employ 270,000 people across 79 countries with annual sales of US$187.8 billion. To discover more, please visit www.samsung.com.
