Samsung
- - 2000-Present Pioneering the Digital Age
- - 1997-1999 Advancing the Digital Frontier
- - 1994-1996 Becoming a Global Force
- - 1990-1993 Competing in a Changing Tech World
- - 1980-1989 Entering the Global Marketplace
- - 1970-1979 Diversifying in Industries and Electronics
- - 1938-1969 SAMSUNG's Beginnings
* SAMSUNG's History Menu Link
1980-1989 Entering the Global Marketplace
The late 70s and early 80s represented a time of increasing diversification and global growth for SAMSUNG's core technology businesses.
In 1978, SAMSUNG Semiconductor and SAMSUNG Electronics became separate entities as new products were introduced to the global market. SAMSUNG only produced semiconductors for the domestic market until the successful development of a 64K DRAM (Dynamic Random Access Memory) VLSI chip in December 1983, when it became a world leader in semiconductor products.
SAMSUNG Precision Company (established in 1977) laid the foundation in another high-tech industry - aerospace. Renamed SAMSUNG Aerospace Industries in February 1987 (now known as SAMSUNG Techwin), SAMSUNG has been developing its aerospace capabilities with unprecedented speed ever since. Future plans include the development of future space stations - and even space facilities for the Moon and Mars in the early 21st century.
The mid-80s also saw SAMSUNG entering the systems development business, establishing SAMSUNG Data Systems in 1985 (now known as SAMSUNG SDS) as a leader in Information Technology services including systems integration, systems management, consulting, and networking services.
SAMSUNG's increasing focus on technology led to another key development in the mid-80s with the creation of the company's two Research & Development institutes, SAMSUNG Economic Research Institute (SERI) in 1986 and SAMSUNG Advanced Institute of Technology (SAIT) in 1987. Together, these two pioneering R&D organizations have helped SAMSUNG expand its reach even further into electronics, semiconductors, high polymer chemicals, genetic engineering, optical telecommunications, aerospace and new fields of technology innovation from nanotechnology to advanced network architectures.
On November 19, 1987, SAMSUNG's founding Chairman Byung-Chull Lee passed away after almost fifty years at the helm of the company. His son, Kun-Hee Lee succeeded him as the new Chairman. On the 50th anniversary of SAMSUNG's founding in 1988, he announced the "Second Foundation" of the company, directing SAMSUNG's growth towards becoming a world-class 21st century corporation.
For this "Second Foundation," SAMSUNG challenged itself to restructure old businesses and enter new ones with the aim of becoming one of the world's top five electronics companies. The merger of SAMSUNG Electronics and SAMSUNG Semiconductor & Telecommunications was undoubtedly a key strategic moment in the progress towards this goal. For the first time in the group's history, SAMSUNG was now in a position to maximize its technological resources and develop value-added products.
The integration of overlapping projects also reduced costs and efficiently utilized capital and labor. By the late 80s, SAMSUNG's efforts to create consolidation of its electronics and heavy companies started to pay off with a well-regarded reputation matching the high-tech products the company was now known for.
| 1989 |
|
|---|---|
| 1988 |
|
| 1987 |
|
| 1986 |
|
| 1985 |
|
| 1983 |
|
| 1982 |
|
| 1981 |
|
| 1980 |
|
HongKong / English