As reported by Appliance Design, Samsung Electronics America announced a new research and development partnership with the state of South Carolina and its two largest universities, Clemson University and the University of South Carolina. Together with the state government, Samsung will create the Palmetto Consortium for Home Appliance Innovation, an R&D program designed to catalyze innovation, foster public/private collaboration, and nurture the next generation of advanced manufacturing professionals in South Carolina. “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 – said Dochul Choi, senior vice president of R&D at Samsung Electronics America -. The 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”. The mission of the new partnership, which will be implemented over five years, is to enable world class research into areas such as new consumer electronics, energy efficient technology, advanced manufacturing technology, sensor technology, and other areas that are core to the innovation and production of quality home appliances. Samsung selected Clemson University and the University of South Carolina for the new partnership because of their nationally renowned research programs in engineering, information technology and computer science. “We are delighted to welcome Samsung to the Palmetto State – said USC President Harris Pastides -. 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”. The creation of the consortium comes six months after Samsung announced it would open a new home appliance manufacturing plant in Newberry (South Carolina).
