Samsung is the latest company to get involved in the driverless car race, as the company has established an entire unit dedicated to car components. While the company will start developing key components for autonomous cars, it is unknown if they will start developing a driverless vehicle of their very own. The announcement comes amid several new appointments and strategies for Samsung.
The new department will be known as the “Vehicle Component Business Unit”, and it will start by focusing on boosting its strengths in car infotainment products. It will also start developing components that will be integral for unmanned vehicles. The unit will be led by executive vice president Park Jong-Hwan.
Additionally, Samsung has established a “Mobile Enhancing” team that will work within its telecommunications division. The move comes amid struggles of Samsung’s wired phone business, as the company has had a hard time competing with cheaper Chinese phones. The company will work to strengthen its role in emerging markets.
Company spokesperson Kwon Seung-Han said, “Focusing on emerging markets, Samsung will offer more authority to staff members in product development teams and product strategy teams. That’s why Samsung launched a product strategy center at Samsung China.”
Meanwhile, Samsung has been accelerating its efforts to cut costs, while also improving efficiency. The company believes that it has accomplished this by reducing the roles of back offices including communications, finance, labor, human resources and investor relations.
As a part of the overhaul, Samsung’s global marketing division has been reduced to a global marketing center, and the global cooperation team has merged with the communications team. Also, the investor relations team has been moved into the management support group.
Furthermore, Seo Byeong-Sam has been named as the head of Samsung’s home appliances business. Other appointments include naming Rhee In-Jong head of the new product development team in the telecommunications division, and naming Nho Tae-Moon head of the second product development team.
The company also announced that it will retain its system of having three CEOs.
Senior CEO Kwon Oh-Hyun will lead the technology center of Samsung. CEO Yoon Boo-Keun will control the global marketing center, the global customer service center, the digital media lab and the design management center. CEO and mobile chief Shin Jong-Kyun will be in charge of the software center and the center for global technology.
By putting these teams and executives in place, Samsung is ready to face 2016 head on.
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