The 3rd Samsung Supplier Sustainability Summit: Advancing Collaboration for a Sustainable Semiconductor Supply Chain

Samsung Semiconductor hosted the third Samsung Supplier Sustainability Summit at its DSA (Device Solutions America) office in San Jose, California, on May 18 to strengthen collaboration with major partners in North America and Europe. Now in its third year, the event followed previous editions held in Korea in 2024 and Tokyo in 2025, bringing together 26 key suppliers across materials, components, and equipment to address shared sustainability priorities across the semiconductor value chain.

Navigating a volatile global environment through ecosystem collaboration

In her opening remarks, Kyung-ah Kim, VP and head of Samsung Semiconductor’s DS Corporate Sustainability Office, emphasized the critical need for close cooperation amid global carbon reduction demands and stricter climate regulations. Following this, Saifi Usmani, VP of SEMI’s¹ Global Industry Sustainability Program, reinforced that industry-wide collaboration is essential for supply chain resilience and energy efficiency in the AI era.

Driving technical innovation in materials and equipment

In the following morning session, Dr. Young-hun Sung of Samsung Semiconductor’s Material Technology Team presented the company’s 'Material Recycling Roadmap'. Partner companies added valuable field-level insights to the discussion, drawing on their operational expertise to highlight key environmental challenges and practical approaches currently underway.

The afternoon session shifted the focus to equipment, with Jong-woo Sun, VP and head of Samsung Semiconductor’s Process Development Innovation Team, highlighting power reduction as a key condition for sustainable production and the need to pursue solutions with equipment partners. Partner companies then shared carbon reduction solutions through equipment efficiency innovation and ecosystem-level collaboration strategies. The session concluded with Ho-song Hwang, VP and head of Samsung Semiconductor’s Environment Team, presenting Samsung’s environmental strategy and future joint tasks.

Sustainability: A Strategic imperative for ecosystem survival

In the closing speech, Jin-young Park, EVP and head of Samsung Semiconductor’s Procurement Team, stated that sustainability has become an issue of survival for the semiconductor ecosystem amid growing supply chain uncertainty. She added that low-power equipment, carbon reduction, and clean energy are now essential requirements, and that a sustainable supply chain can only be achieved through collective collaboration.

Participating partners noted that the summit served as a meaningful opportunity to recognize sustainability as a shared priority across the semiconductor ecosystem and explore practical paths for collaboration. Samsung Semiconductor and its global partners will continue working closely together to respond to evolving environmental demands and help set new standards across the industry.

_{^{¹ SEMI (Semiconductor Equipment and Materials International)}}