Samsung considers Vietnam a global manufacturing hub and aims to turn the country into a “center of its research and development centers” globally, according to Mr. Park Hark Kyu, Head of Corporate Management Office at the DX Division of Samsung Electronics.

At a meeting with Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh in Hanoi on April 13, Mr. Park said the group will also make efforts to enable more Vietnamese people to join the leadership team at Samsung Vietnam, raise the localization rate, and step up cooperation with the Vietnam National Innovation Center.

He thanked central and local governments for supporting Samsung over the years and spoke highly of Vietnam’s business environment.

Samsung inaugurated a research and development (R&D) center in Hanoi last year and provided training to ensure there will be more Vietnamese in its leadership ranks. The $220-million center is the South Korean conglomerate’s biggest R&D facility in Southeast Asia and testament to its long-term operations in Vietnam. More than 2,000 Vietnamese engineers work at the center.

Prime Minister Chinh said Samsung’s operations in Vietnam have contributed to boosting the country’s exports and growth.

The Vietnamese Government will continue to hold dialogue with foreign investors, including Samsung, to identify appropriate solutions to resolve the difficulties faced by foreign investors, the Prime Minister said.