Samsung builds US$220 million R&D centre in Vietnam

Samsung Vietnam has announced the commencement of construction on a new US$220 million research and development (R&D) centre in Vietnam, with completion scheduled for late 2022.

The rendering of Samsung Electronics' new research and development centre in Vietnam. (Photo: Samsung)
The rendering of Samsung Electronics' new research and development centre in Vietnam. (Photo: Samsung)

This is the first R&D centre built by Samsung Electronics outside the Republic of Korea and is the largest among R&D centres by foreign-invested firms in Vietnam.

Once completed, its research workforce in Vietnam will increase from 2,200 to 3,000, with research capacity to be enhanced not only in product development but also in new technologies such as artificial intelligence, the internet of things and big data.

Samsung Vietnam General Director Choi Joo Ho said in a statement that the R&D centre is a strategic milestone in the firm’s 12-year investment history in Vietnam.

He added that the centre will be the place for the Korean company to fulfil its commitment on contributing to Vietnam’s science and technology by training and nurturing a talented workforce in the high-tech industry.

With this project, Vietnam will not only become Samsung’s largest manufacturing hub but also its strategic R&D centre, the company has stated on its website.

Located to the west of West Lake in Hanoi, the new R&D building will have 16 storeys above ground and three underground floors, with a total floor area of nearly 80,000 square metres.

To date, Samsung has invested more than US$17 billion in Vietnam, of which Samsung Electronics accounts for US$9.5 billion, with the first smartphone factory in Bac Ninh Province in 2008, followed by a second plant in Thai Nguyen Province.

The company also has a consumer appliance and TV manufacturing complex in Ho Chi Minh City and an R&D centre in central Hanoi.