Recently, the state of South Carolina and its two largest universities went into partnership with Samsung Electronics America. The universities are Clemson University and the University of South Carolina. The major aim of this partnership is to improve innovation and develop the upcoming tech professionals in the state. This collaboration will conceive the establishment of the Palmetto Consortium for Home Appliance Innovation [PCHAI] which is a strong research and development program. Samsung already has a subsisting manufacturing presence in South Carolina thus this Consortium builds on its pre-existing presence. Recall that six months ago, the development of a top-notch home appliance manufacturing plant in Newberry, South Carolina was announced by Samsung. This current partnership further shows Samsung’s commitment to the state of South Carolina.
Senior Vice President of R&D, Samsung Electronics America, Dr. Dochul Choi said
“Samsung’s ambition is for South Carolina to become our U.S. hub for every stage in the home appliance lifecycle—from concept and R&D to manufacturing, quality assurance, distribution and customer care,”…“Today’s announcement is a down payment on that vision. By investing in R&D and the future of our workforce, we can better position Samsung and South Carolina to meet the high demands and desires of customers across America, our fastest growing and most important home appliance market.”
This partnership will be for five years and within the period, state-of-the-art research on exceptional manufacturing technology, energy saving technology, innovative consumer electronics, sensor tech and other relevant research will be carried out. These universities were selected because they are well known nationwide for their advances in engineering, information technology, and computer science. These institutions are top-tier universities considering the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education.
Clemson President James P. Clements said
“Clemson University has a strong history of collaborating on R&D opportunities with the best companies in South Carolina and from around the world,”…“We are extremely excited about Samsung’s commitment to South Carolina and look forward to working with the company on efforts ranging from workforce development to utilization of our newly announced Center for Advanced Manufacturing. Clemson has significant assets and is prepared to make a strong commitment to helping ensure that Samsung is successful both in South Carolina and the world.”
While USC President Harris Pastides also stated that
“We are delighted to welcome Samsung to the Palmetto State,”…“The University of South Carolina brings an array of expertise and experience to this new consortium—from engineering and computing to design and global business knowledge and are eager to get started on new innovations that benefit both consumers and our work force. Our researchers and students have a long track record of successful private sector partnerships, from Boeing to IBM, and we are committed to helping bring new technologies to market.”
Meanwhile, recruitment for Samsung’s Newberry facility has commenced and as of now, over 350 talents have been employed. By 2020, this plant is scheduled to create at least 1,000 jobs for locals and the company’s investment would climb to the tune of $380 million by 2022.
