Samsung to fund W33b for research on future tech

Samsung Electronics said Monday it will dole out 33 billion won ($27.6 million) for academic research projects on future technologies in the fields of basic science, materials and information communications technology.

The South Korean tech giant will support 26 research projects, including seven in basic science, 10 in material technology and nine related to ICT.

In basic science, Samsung will offer funds for discovering treatments for brain tumors and theorization for quantum optics, it said.

In the field of material technology, it pledged to back projects that include developing materials that are used for diagnosing cancer and making cutting-edge chips and methodology that analyze the lifespan of industrial materials by using artificial intelligence.

The ICT-related projects include sensing and analyzing brain signals for the ultimate development of brain-computer interface and various deep-learning studies.

Samsung has so far provided 718.2 billion won for a total of 560 research projects.

The funds are part of Samsung’s social corporate responsibility programs designed for supporting young scientists and engineers. It began in 2013 with a donation of 1.5 trillion won for establishment of the Samsung Science & Technology Foundation. 

“Half of the announced projects today are being conducted by researchers in their 30s and 40s who will strengthen the fundamentals of the country’s scientific field and contribute to discovering new growth engines,” said Eum Doo-chan, head of the center.

The company said it is putting emphasis on the importance of education and academic capabilities of society for its CSR activities.

The tech giant holds a biannual camp for middle school students during the vacation season.

Although Samsung’s de facto leader and vice chairman Lee Jae-yong’s term as director of the foundation officially ends on Oct. 26, Samsung said it will continue investing in new technologies and related projects.

By Song Su-hyun (song@heraldcorp.com)