An All-time High R&D Investment
Samsung Electronics invested an all-time high of 22 trillion won in R&D in 2021.
The company said in its audit report on Feb. 21 that its total R&D expenditure stood at 22,595.4 billion won in 2021, up 6.5 percent from 21,220.9 billion won a year earlier.
Samsung Electronics' total R&D expenditure has continued to increase for the past five years. It rose from 14,792.3 billion won in 2016 to 16,803.2 billion won in 2017, 18,650.4 billion won in 2018, 20,192.9 billion won in 2019, 22,595.4 billion won in 2020 and 22,595.4 billion won in 2021.
However, the ratio of R&D spending to sales fell slightly from 8.9 percent in 2020 to 8.0 percent in 2021.
Samsung Electronics has been strengthening its R&D investment with the goal of becoming the No. 1 system semiconductor maker in 2030.
In August last year, the company laid out a plan to pour 171 trillion won into R&D on system semiconductors and expansion of system semiconductor production facilities.