Samsung Electronics held an annual event with its semiconductor partner companies to share its direction for shared growth. The 2026 DS Co-Prosperity Cooperation Day, held on Thursday at The UniverSE in Yongin, Gyeonggi Province, was attended by about 90 people, including Vice Chairman and CEO Jeon Young-hyun (전영현), key DS Division executives and representatives of 64 member companies of the partner company council, Hyopseonghoe. The event included awards for outstanding partner companies and shared the DS Division's business strategy and mid- to long-term technology roadmap.

Co-Prosperity Cooperation Day is a communication event between Samsung management and Hyopseonghoe that has been held since 2012. From last year, the DS Division and DX Division have operated separate events in a structure designed to discuss cooperation measures in greater depth. Hyopseonghoe is chaired by Kim Young-jae of Daeduck Electronics.

Samsung Electronics selected and awarded 17 partner companies that achieved results in technology and quality innovation, ESG and cost efficiency. KC Tech received the top award in technology innovation. It was recognized for localizing semiconductor materials that had a high dependence on overseas suppliers. Comico won the top award in quality innovation for strengthening shipment quality of parts by operating an internationally accredited professional analysis center. Wonik IPS received the top award in cost efficiency for improving investment efficiency through localization of semiconductor equipment such as CVD. In the ESG category, Linde Korea won an excellence award for reducing greenhouse gases by introducing solar facilities and improving factory efficiency.

Kim Young-jae said core competitiveness in the AI era is completed when Samsung Electronics and partner companies combine as One Team. He said they should build a new leap for the semiconductor industry together on the basis of a shared growth structure that extends to second- and third-tier partner companies.

Samsung Electronics has continued customized support in three areas - funding, technology and workforce - to strengthen the competitiveness of partner companies. For funding support, it provides low-interest loans for facility investment, research and development and operating funds through a co-prosperity fund established in 2010, and expanded eligible recipients to third-tier partner companies from 2018.

From 2024, it has formed a 1 trillion won ESG fund with Samsung Display to provide interest-free support for up to 3 years for investment funds related to facilities and technology. Separately, it has paid more than 800 billion won in incentives to date to employees of partner companies stationed at its workplaces.

On technology support, it has formed a total of 50 billion won with the Ministry of SMEs and Startups since 2013 to help technology development at small and medium-sized companies, and the DS Division has pursued a cumulative 11 projects through 2025. For workforce support, it provides free online and offline training through its co-prosperity cooperation academy, and to date about 105,000 people from about 1,300 companies have completed the courses.

Jeon said the DS Division has been able to continue technological innovation because of close cooperation with partner companies. He said Samsung Electronics will strengthen partnerships to build an industrial ecosystem that grows with partner companies, and continue shared growth based on communication and technology exchanges.