SEOUL, November 11 (AJP) - Samsung Electronics has received South Korea's highest corporate partnership rating for the 15th consecutive year, becoming the only company to maintain the top grade since the assessment system was introduced in 2011.
The tech giant received the highest rating in the Korea Commission for Corporate Partnership's 2026 assessment, based on corporate performance in 2025, the company said Wednesday.
The annual index evaluates how major corporations work with smaller suppliers and businesses, assigning one of five grades ranging from excellent to very poor.
Samsung's latest rating comes as the company expands support for smaller manufacturers, including financing, workforce training and the adoption of artificial intelligence in production facilities.
The company said it has helped more than 3,600 small and medium-sized enterprises establish smart factories since 2015. This year, the initiative has expanded to include manufacturing AI solutions under its Smart Factory 4.0 program.
Samsung has also established a 1.4 trillion won ($950 million) supplier cooperation fund offering low-interest loans for technology development and equipment investment.
In 2024, it partnered with five major financial groups to create an 800 billion won fund providing interest-free financing for suppliers pursuing environmental, social and governance initiatives.
Beyond financing, Samsung said about 270,000 employees at partner companies have completed its training programs since 2013, while its recruitment initiatives have supported approximately 9,800 hires.
The company has also transferred roughly 2,500 patents free of charge to smaller businesses, including firms outside its existing supply chain.
The rating reflects Samsung's longstanding supplier support programs, although the company did not disclose how the initiatives have affected suppliers' profitability or productivity.
The programs come as manufacturers face growing pressure to modernize production, adopt AI technologies and meet increasingly demanding supply-chain requirements.
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