Samsung Electronics Executive Chairman Lee Jae-yong, center in the back, poses with the firm's employees at the Samsung Research Center in southern Seoul, Wednesday. Courtesy of Samsung Electronics

The priorities of Samsung Electronics Executive Chairman Lee Jae-yong will be to foster the next-generation 6G technologies, as illustrated by his visit to the Samsung Research Center in southern Seoul, the firm said Wednesday. It was his first official scheduled event of this year.

The chairman said 2024 will be defined by the swifter integration of 6G technologies into everyday life. The 6G technologies encompass artificial intelligence (AI), autonomous driving vehicles, robots and extended reality (XR). XR is a catch-all term to refer to augmented reality (AR), virtual reality (VR) and mixed reality (MR).

"The survival and the future of the firm depends on how best we secure new technologies," he said during the visit. "Our efforts must become bolder to navigate the unfavorable market conditions from within the country and abroad in times of hardship. I make an earnest recommendation that we invest in our future to bolster our technological advantages, especially with the looming crisis in mind."

The success of the firm and the country at large will be determined by global 6G leadership, he added, amid fierce global competition for 6G tech hegemony among the U.S., Japan and Europe.

"Many of our global peers are spearheading technology investments and projects with the full backing of their governments," he said. "Samsung will lead the global discussion on the establishment of 6G standards, as underpinned by years of strong expertise in 4G and 5G technologies. Continued investments in human resources and research and development will buttress our efforts."

The 6G technologies will be commercialized around 2030 after the global standardization process set to take shape in 2025.

Samsung will solidify its lead as the first industry leader to have succeeded in the commercialization of 5G technology, a feat underpinned by years of hefty investments in industry standardization and technology research since 2011.

"We will sharpen our competitive edge and widen our technological investment portfolio to include the development of AI technologies, high-performance communication chips and communications software," he said.