Faced with the worst semiconductor recession in its history, Samsung Electronics has executed a major restructuring of its Device Solution (DS) Division, including personnel management. The DS Division is responsible for the semiconductor business.

According to industry sources on July 3, Samsung Electronics will first make a change in personnel at the DRAM Development Office in its Memory Business Group. Hwang Sang-jun, a vice president who worked in the Memory Strategic Marketing Office, has been tapped as the new head of the DRAM Development Office.

As the high bandwidth memory (HBM) market is expected to grow rapidly starting this year due to increasing demand for artificial intelligence and high performance computing (HPC), the DRAM Development Office, which plays a key role in the development of HBM products, has grown in importance. Samsung Electronics is preparing to mass produce fourth-generation HBM3.

The Korean tech giant has set up the A-FAB TF under the Manufacturing Synergy Team and the Material Technology Team under the Manufacturing Group. The Memory Manufacturing Technology Center (MTC), relocated from Hwaseong to Pyeongtaek, will be integrated with the Foundry MTC.

The Memory E/F Team at the Memory MTC has been renamed the Back End of Line (BEOL) FAB Team. The Research Line Operation Team in charge of global manufacturing & infrastructure has been transferred to the manufacturing sector.

The Energy Solutions TU has been created at the Samsung Advanced Institute of Technology (SAIT), which serves as Samsung’s brain center for expanding the application of AI under Kyung Kye-hyun, president and CEO of Samsung Electronics’ DS Division.

The foundry chief technology officer (CTO) was replaced by Yoon Jong-shik, vice president of the Foundry Technology Development Office. The vacant CTO position was filled by Koo Ja-heum, vice president of foundry technology development.

This much organizational change in the midst of an irregular personnel season after 2022 is considered quite unusual. The reorganization reflects Samsung Electronics’ strong desire to proactively respond to future market changes, as demand for semiconductors is expected to recover in the second half of this year.