Samsung Electronics has received the top rating in the "2023 Shared Growth Index Evaluation" selected by the Korea Commission for Corporate Partnership, marking the first time a domestic company has achieved this distinction for 13 consecutive years. While numerous companies are rated Excellent annually, Samsung Electronics remains the only company to have consistently achieved this recognition since the Shared Growth Index Evaluation was introduced in 2011.
The Shared Growth Index Evaluation is a quantifiable indicator that calculates the level of shared growth among large and small businesses each year to promote shared growth. It is categorized into five levels: Excellent, Good, Fair, Average, and Poor.
Samsung Electronics, under its core values of "Integrity and Excellence" is actively engaged in various collaborative activities. The company is expanding the scope of its shared growth efforts by supporting not only its primary suppliers but also secondary and tertiary suppliers, as well as non-trading small and medium-sized enterprises.
□ Providing Real Financial Support through Supplier Cash Payments, Win-Win & ESG Funds, and Supplier Incentives
Samsung Electronics spearheaded the improvement of payment practices among companies by becoming the first in Korea to pay its suppliers in cash in 2005.
Since 2010, Samsung Electronics has established a 1.4 trillion won Win-Win Fund to provide low-interest loans to suppliers for technology development and facility investment.
This year, Samsung Electronics, in collaboration with Samsung Display, has established a 1 trillion won "Supplier ESG Fund" to provide interest-free loans for six years to support primary suppliers in their ESG investments, including environmental and safety improvements and the transition to high-efficiency production facilities.
Furthermore, Samsung Electronics reflects raw material price increases and minimum wage adjustments in its supply prices. Additionally, the company has been providing incentives to outstanding semiconductor suppliers since 2010, totaling approximately 670 billion won.
□ Supporting Supplier Innovation in Technology, Manufacturing & Quality, and Cost Competitiveness
Samsung Electronics provides comprehensive support to its suppliers in various areas, including technology, manufacturing & quality, and cost competitiveness, to foster their innovation.
To promote the future growth for its suppliers, Samsung Electronics has been hosting technology conference since 2009, showcasing technologies held by domestic universities and research institutions. The company has also opened its patents to non-trading small and medium-sized enterprises, granting over 2,100 patents free of charge.
Since 2013, Samsung Electronics has contributed to the "Joint Investment Technology Development Project" in collaboration with the Ministry of SMEs and Startups, providing approximately 20 billion won in funding. In 2022, the company established an additional 30 billion won fund to support the acquisition of next-generation and ESG technologies over the next five years.
Samsung Electronics also operates a Win-Win Partnership Academy Consulting Center staffed by experts to identify and address various issues faced by its suppliers, including manufacturing and quality. The company has shared its accumulated innovation practices with over 2,000 suppliers free of charge, contributing to their cost competitiveness.
□ Supporting Human Resource Development through Training for 200,000 Supplier Employees and Employment of Approximately 7,500 Individuals
Established in 2013, the Samsung Electronics Win-Win Partnership Academy operates customized human resource development programs for its suppliers.
The academy has conducted various training programs equivalent to Samsung employee training programs, including ▲New Employee Training, ▲Future Management Training, and ▲Manufacturing/Quality/Purchasing/Sales Job Training, for 200,000 supplier employees. It has also supported the employment of approximately 7,500 individuals through ▲Samsung Supplier Job Fairs and ▲Online Supplier Recruitment Portals.
□ Strengthening Manufacturing Capabilities and Enhancing Competitiveness of Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises through Smart Factory Construction
Since 2015, Samsung Electronics has been supporting the construction of customized smart factories to drive manufacturing innovation for small and medium-sized enterprises facing challenging conditions. Since 2018, the company has expanded its support to include all small and medium-sized enterprises in need, regardless of their business relationship with Samsung Electronics, in collaboration with the Ministry of SMEs and Startups and the Korea Federation of SMEs.
Samsung Electronics has deployed 170 experts with decades of manufacturing and quality expertise to provide comprehensive support, including on-site manufacturing innovation, human resource development, market expansion, ESG support, and post-implementation management.
Through these efforts, Samsung Electronics has supported the construction of smart factories for approximately 3,300 small and medium-sized enterprises nationwide over the past 10 years.
Since 2023, Samsung Electronics has been implementing the "Smart Factory 3.0" project, leveraging data technology to upgrade the manufacturing sites of small and medium-sized enterprises into intelligent factories. The project prioritizes support for small and medium-sized enterprises in areas experiencing population decline, aiming to enhance their sustainable business (ESG) competitiveness.
This year, Samsung Electronics plans to collaborate with the Ministry of SMEs and Startups and the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs to foster K-Food smart factories in rural areas and work with local governments to support smart factories, contributing to regional balanced development.
□ Samsung's "Together for Tomorrow! Enabling People"
Samsung is committed to its CSR vision of "Together for Tomorrow! Enabling People" and engages in social contribution activities focused on youth education and shared growth.
Key youth education initiatives include ▲Samsung SW Academy for Youth, ▲Samsung Stepping Stone of Hope, ▲Samsung Dream Class, ▲Samsung Blue Elephant (PUCO), and ▲WorldSkills Technical Training, designed to empower young people to fully realize their potential.
Samsung also implements shared growth programs, such as ▲Support for Smart Factory Conversion for Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises, ▲C Lab (Inside/Outside), ▲Establishment of Win-Win & ESG Funds, ▲Supplier Incentive Program, ▲Samsung Science and Technology Foundation, ▲Samsung Guide Dog School, ▲Donation Kiosk, ▲Samsung Class for Youth, and ▲Samsung Senior Digital Academy.
The "Samsung CSR Magazine" (news.samsung.com/kr/csr-magazine) provides information and related content about Samsung's key CSR activities.