▲ Blanco, an Urban Venue

The forum was organized into four sessions — Sustainability, Health AI, Galaxy AI and Home AI — each addressing the transformative changes and challenges innovation will bring to these areas. With around 100 media representatives and industry professionals in attendance, the panels centered on the disruptive potential of AI and offered blueprints for future technologies across various sectors.

Samsung Newsroom visited the first Galaxy Tech Forum session, titled “How Mobile Technology Can Accelerate a Sustainable Future,” to learn about Samsung’s mobile innovations and partnerships that are contributing to a brighter tomorrow.

Driving Mobile Innovation and Sustainability

Samsung is committed to accelerating a sustainable future for both people and the planet.

▲ (From left to right) Tamara Gondo, Michael Stewart, Dr. Stuart Sandin, Daniel Araujo and Cassie Smith

Despite the numerous benefits offered to modern society, the rapid growth of the mobile industry has also brought significant environmental challenges. To address those challenges, Samsung has made the actualization of a sustainable future a cornerstone of the company’s vision for mobile devices.

▲ Daniel Araujo from Samsung Electronics

“We’ve made significant progress in fostering sustainable practices throughout our product lifecycle and this is only possible through open collaboration with like-minded partners. And there is even more to come,” said Daniel Araujo, Head of Sustainability Management Office, Mobile eXperience Business at Samsung Electronics.

“Each device of the S25 series will include at least 50% recycled cobalt, and for the first time in Galaxy history, the battery of the S25 model will be made with recycled cobalt sourced from previously used Galaxy smartphones,” he continued, highlighting Samsung’s advancements in product circularity.

Leveraging Galaxy Camera Technology To Restore Vital Marine Ecosystems

Since the launch of the Galaxy S22 series in 2022, Samsung has incorporated over 150 tonnes of discarded fishing nets — equivalent to the weight of 15 million plastic water bottles — into Galaxy products. Along the way, the company has recognized the critical threat ocean-bound plastic poses to coral reefs and has taken a leading role in restoration efforts through strategic partnerships.

Dr. Stuart Sandin, a professor at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California San Diego said coral reefs are home to a quarter of all marine life, and over half a billion people depend on reefs for food, income and protection from storms and erosion. He added that with more than 50% of the world’s coral reefs already lost and ocean-bound plastic threatening the remaining marine ecosystems, new restoration methods using mobile technology are gaining traction.

▲ Dr. Stuart Sandin from the University of California San Diego, Scripps Institute of Oceanography

“We partnered with Samsung because of our shared commitment to innovation and collaboration. Our optimistic and technology-forward approach is contributing to new solutions for coral reef restoration,” said Michael Stewart, co-founder of Seatrees — a nonprofit dedicated to protecting marine ecosystems. His announcement of the organization’s partnership with Samsung was followed by a trailer for an upcoming documentary about the collaborative efforts between the companies.

▲ Michael Stewart from Seatrees

Araujo explained that to support Seatrees’ efforts, Samsung developed Ocean Mode¹ — a new camera setting that optimizes underwater photography on the Galaxy S24 Ultra. He discussed how the feature will provide valuable visual data that can be used to 3D map coral reefs to aid efforts for their restoration. The panelists acknowledged that mobile technology is making environmental conservation more accessible since high-quality data can now be collected with lightweight, user-friendly smartphones.

Empowering Young Leaders Through Technology

“Beyond environmental efforts, Samsung has collaborated with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) to empower future generations in achieving the Global Goals,” explained moderator Cassie Smith, Senior Manager of Corporate Sustainability and U.S. Public Affairs at Samsung Electronics America. The success of Samsung’s five-year partnership with the UNDP led to the launch of the Samsung Global Goals app and Generation17 initiative.

▲ Cassie Smith from Samsung Electronics America

“Being part of Generation17 gave me confidence, access to resources and a global platform, which opened up a world of possibilities that inspired me to grow my business, Liberty Society, and its impact,” said Tamara Gondo, CEO of Liberty Society — a social enterprise that funds upskilling for marginalized women. “Participating in global events such as Mobile World Congress and the United Nations General Assembly gave me a seat at the decision-making table.”

▲ Tamara Gondo, CEO of Liberty Society and a Generation17 Young Leader

Araujo underscored Tamara’s remarks and stressed the importance of young leaders in achieving the Global Goals, encouraging ongoing efforts and inviting attendees to look forward to the new group of Young Leaders later this year.

The Sustainability session provided an in-depth exploration of how mobile technology can address environmental and social challenges. Samsung’s unwavering commitment to innovation and sustainability is paving the way for meaningful change on a global scale.

¹ Exclusively developed for this project and only available to Seatrees and its partners.

Samsung Electronics today announced the company has reached a significant milestone in its journey to advance the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), or the Global Goals, with a contribution of more than USD10 million to the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). The funds were generated through the Samsung Global Goals app and will help UNDP promote resilience and accelerate progress around the world.

Established by the United Nations in 2015, the Global Goals provide a shared blueprint of ambitious milestones for a more equitable, just and sustainable world by 2030. The 17 Global Goals promote collaboration and collective action to address inequality, climate change, ecosystem degradation, education and other pressing global challenges. Samsung embarked on delivering innovative solutions in support of the Global Goals and in 2019 by partnering with UNDP to launch the Samsung Global Goals app. The company’s global Galaxy community has since joined the movement by leveraging the app as a simple yet meaningful tool to make a difference in their daily lives.

Taking Collective Action for the Goals

“At Samsung, we know technology plays a crucial role in solving some of the biggest challenges the world is facing right now,” said TM Roh, President and Head of Mobile eXperience Business at Samsung Electronics. “Through our partnership with UNDP and the Samsung Global Goals app, the Galaxy community has been instrumental in advancing the Global Goals. We want to extend our gratitude to our users for making this incredible milestone possible.”

Actions taken on the Samsung Global Goals app support UNDP’s impactful work. This includes meaningfully engaging youth to achieve the SDGs. UNDP implements policies, advances programs, champions youth initiatives in over 100 countries and supports over 900 youth partnerships.

“As we approach the halfway point of the 2030 deadline, this coming year is crucial in our pursuit to advance the Global Goals,” said UNDP Administrator Achim Steiner. “While the world has faced recent setbacks, we are energized by the progress made through this partnership. Together with Samsung, we must reinvigorate our combined efforts to achieve the Goals and inspire the next generation to take action with us.”

Scaling Our Impact

The Samsung Global Goals app is installed on nearly 300 million Galaxy devices worldwide, including smartphones, tablets and smartwatches. Through the app, Samsung raises awareness for the Global Goals while also empowering users to take small actions that amount to big change. The Samsung Global Goals app enables users to donate directly, use wallpapers to increase ad-earnings or generate funding by watching advertisements in the app. To maximize impact, Samsung matches all proceeds through in-app advertisements.¹

Since launching the Samsung Global Goals app in 2019, Samsung has expanded its partnership with UNDP with Generation17, an initiative that elevates the voices of 14 young leaders making meaningful impacts in their communities around the world. The Generation17 Young Leaders play an essential role in inspiring people to deliver impact for the Global Goals.

Samsung also strives to support the Global Goals through its business operations. The company has aligned its corporate ESG strategy with the Global Goals to identify business priorities and communicate performance according to the Goals. The company is also a signatory of the United Nations Global Compact, an initiative that encourages businesses to adopt sustainable and socially responsible policies.

To learn more about the Global Goals and take action, visit the Samsung Global Goals app here: http://smsng.co/SGG-App.

To view Samsung’s sustainability progress, check out the 2022 Sustainability Report.

About UNDP

UNDP is the leading United Nations organization fighting to end the injustice of poverty, inequality, and climate change. Working with our broad network of experts and partners in 170 countries, we help nations to build integrated, lasting solutions for people and planet. www.undp.org

¹ Samsung has pledged to match donations with ad proceeds generated through the Global Goals app; up to USD 5 million annually.

Dear Galaxy Community,

Over the past year, we’ve all been reminded of technology’s vital role in our lives. It has kept us connected in these difficult times and enabled us to work and learn, no matter where we are in the world. But beyond that, it has kept us hopeful. Technology has inspired us and enabled us to do good by serving as a powerful tool capable of bringing communities together to drive positive change.

I would like to spotlight a group of young people who, in the midst of a global pandemic, have truly embodied this spirit of innovation. They’re finding creative ways to harness technology to defy barriers and build a better world at a time when we urgently need to make progress.

In celebration of the United Nations’ 75^th Anniversary, Samsung and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) expanded our partnership to launch Generation17, an initiative to magnify the voices of young leaders who are helping to achieve the Global Goals for Sustainable Development.

Our Generation17 Young Leaders are committed activists, each with the strong will and unwavering determination to build a better future for all by 2030. Spanning Africa, Asia, Europe and Latin America, they are already making incredible strides on pressing global challenges.

A Generation Driven by Purpose

Now more than ever, we must elevate the voice of young generations and unlock their collective power to advance the Global Goals. Our future depends on their ingenuity, dedication and optimism. We need their abiding sense of purpose.

Millennials and Gen Z are, by and large, fluent in technology. More than two-thirds of their generation have a smartphone.¹ They’re also natural changemakers. More than 86% believe they can make a difference.² They are passionate activists who truly seek to make positive change in everything they do and are determined to create a better world for all. And because they’ve grown up in a largely borderless, online world, Samsung aims to amplify their spirit of global community. Both generations are visionary, but they need resources that help them realize their aspirations and help society continue to grow and evolve.

That’s why Samsung and the UNDP are supporting the next generation. We’re propelling young people to do good by giving them the technology to create change and the means to make their voices heard. Samsung is proudly using our global reach to help these young leaders tell their stories and advance their missions, while the UNDP is leveraging its issue expertise and grassroots operations to supply young leaders with the necessary skills and resources they need to make a meaningful impact.

After first partnering with the UNDP over two years ago to transform the Galaxy ecosystem into a powerful enabler for collective activism, this marks an important next step in our ongoing journey towards helping the world achieve the Global Goals in less than 10 years.

Taking Action, Together 

The journey to achieve the Global Goals is not easy. It requires a committed and coordinated effort across the public and private sectors, as well as groups and individuals. As Generation17 demonstrates, we can all enact big change if we tap our passion and determination together. And the Galaxy community has the opportunity to embrace our purpose and help shape a better future.

Today, we’re welcoming even more young leaders to our Generation17 community, a group that once again shows the power of technology to make these critical connections. From Daniel Calarco’s quest for improved equality in Brazil; Nadine Khaouli’s inspiring crisis response in Lebanon; Yurii Romashko’s use of technology to power data-based decision making; and to Yejin Choi’s AI-based approach to children’s wellbeing in South Korea – it’s only the beginning.

These young innovators are an integral part of the Samsung Galaxy community, and they do not stand alone. Even the smallest everyday actions can add up to exponential good and that’s why we’re grateful to the millions of Galaxy users who are standing with our young leaders. As of January, the Samsung Global Goals app — a platform where Galaxy users can learn about the Goals and work together for greater good — has been installed on over 100 million Galaxy smartphones worldwide.

We’re proud of our shared mission and impactful partnership with the UNDP and we are continuing to explore new ways to evolve our collaboration. We will continue to find ways to support young leaders and identify new opportunities to mobilize our Galaxy community to achieve the Global Goals.

We invite each and every one of you to learn more about the young leaders and join us in our cause by visiting https://generation17.undp.org.

Thank You,

Stephanie Choi

SVP & Head of Marketing of Mobile Communications Business

Samsung Electronics

¹ “Smartphone Ownership Is Growing Rapidly Around the World, but Not Always Equally.” Pew Research Center, Washington, D.C., (2019) https://www.pewresearch.org/global/2019/02/05/in-emerging-economies-smartphone-adoption-has-grown-more-quickly-among-younger-generations/

² “The Millennial Impact Report: 10 Years Looking Back” Case Foundation, Washington D.C., (2018)

DJ Koh, President and CEO of IT & Mobile Communications Division, Samsung Electronics

Samsung Electronics today announced, at the Samsung Developer Conference 2019 (SDC19), new ways its platforms will enable developers to introduce simpler, more powerful experiences to consumers around the world. Samsung shared its vision for the next era of mobile and connected living, offering inspiration to developers, enterprise leaders, and consumers through innovative experiences with the devices they rely on every day.

“We are fortunate to work with the world’s best developers and designers. Together, we have built an extensive and secure ecosystem of devices and services,” said DJ Koh, President and CEO of IT & Mobile Communications Division, Samsung Electronics. “We continue to make progress toward our vision to be the innovator of new mobile experiences that flow seamlessly and continuously wherever we go.”

Creating Opportunities for Developers through Open, Scalable AI and IoT Platforms

ES Chung, EVP and Head of Software and AI, Mobile Communications Business, Samsung Electronics, outlines plans to enrich Bixby to offer users “countless new ways to integrate intelligence into everything you do.”

To help consumers discover new ways Bixby can work with them to get things done more quickly and easily, Samsung launched Bixby Marketplace earlier this year, creating a way for developers to introduce their Bixby capsules to millions of Bixby users. In the past six months, the size of the Bixby developer community has doubled. And starting in 2020, the Bixby Marketplace will expand gradually, enabling developers to offer their services across more Samsung devices.

To make it easier for developers to create new experiences on its AI platform and ensure consumers have more intuitive experience, Samsung announced enhanced capabilities in the Bixby Developer Studio at SDC19.

• New Bixby Templates makes it easy for developers to create capsules using pre-existing forms so that they don’t have to start from scratch.
• Enhanced Bixby Views enable developers to build capsules with a consistent design even beyond smartphones—to televisions, tablets, smart watches and refrigerators.
• Developers can now register their capsules under Natural Language Categories. When users ask Bixby for help related to a category—such as radio, news, or navigation—Bixby suggests a capsule that can help them get what they need more quickly and easily, even without having to call out exact name of the capsule.

Larry Heck, CEO of Viv Labs, Samsung Electronics, introduces new Natural Language Categories, which simplify how users engage with and discover Bixby capsules.

More consumers than ever are seeing how seamlessly connected devices and services can make everyday life easier. Developers can scale their device and service offerings through Samsung’s IoT platform, SmartThings. Already, developers and partners have brought connected experiences to more than 45 million monthly active users and thousands of compatible devices, and the platform is expected to grow further with the Work as a SmartThings Hub (WASH) program, which allows partners like network operators to embed SmartThings Hub software into their devices.

To help developers build on and integrate existing devices with the SmartThings platform, Samsung announced new capabilities for developers:

• The new Rules API brings to life more automated smart home experiences to reflect individual daily routines across a broad range of SmartThings devices.
• Samsung is launching the SmartThings Device SDK Beta program in early 2020 to enable more third-party manufacturers to create SmartThings-compatible devices.

Samsung continues to invite developers to actively participate in its ecosystem and supports the developer community with several incentive programs—including the Best of Galaxy Store Award, the Samsung Mobile Design Competition, Bixby DevJam and the Samsung Mobile Security Reward program.

Inspiring Developers with New Experiences Across Devices

Samsung continued to refine the mobile experience to allow users to focus on what matters most to them. One UI 2 includes new features that declutter the user interface—making it easier for people to interact naturally, while also making it easier on their eyes. And now, to make both the developer and the user experiences consistent across devices, Samsung is expanding the use of One UI 2 beyond smartphones to tablets, wearables, and new form factors, including foldables.

Sally Hyesoon Jeong, VP and Head of Framework R&D Group, Mobile Communications Business, Samsung Electronics, introduces an all-new, compact form factor for foldable devices.

With the launch of Galaxy Fold, Samsung designed a first-of-its kind mobile experience that is much more than a foldable device. Samsung, alongside hundreds of developers and partners, created an entire foldable ecosystem that continues grow and opens up new possibilities to the mobile experience. As promised at SDC last year, Samsung will continue to explore a range of new form factors in the foldable category. And at SDC19, Samsung invited developers and users alike to join the exploration of exciting new use cases and user experiences.

To deliver the best possible TV viewing experience, Samsung is also investing in 8K technologies. With AI ScaleNet, Samsung has made it possible to stream high-quality 8K videos on networks with lower bandwidth capabilities. Samsung has also announced new tools that make it easier for developers to bring new experiences across the nearly 100 million Smart TVs that are powered by Tizen.

• Wits automatically uploads a code edit to the TV, so developers can see their update almost immediately, significantly trimming development time.
• EasyST makes testing content playback much easier because developers don’t need to build their own test app to make sure their content is streaming as intended.
• TIFA (Tizen Identifier for Advertising) gives consumers the option to limit ad tracking or opt-out of targeted advertising
• Samsung is making Tizen TV OS available to third-party TV makers for the first time.

End-to-End Security Built in Every Solution and Experience

Terry Halvorsen, CIO and EVP, IT of Mobile Communications B2G Business, Samsung Electronics, discusses the importance of stout security solutions like Samsung Knox – particularly in today’s hyperconnected world.

Emerging technologies, such as IoT, AI and 5G, are bringing new capabilities and opportunities to the developer landscape. For Samsung, it means providing the community with the tools and programs necessary to deliver secure and reliable solutions.

Secure Development Lifecycle delivers systematic reviews at every phase of the development, supply chain, and manufacturing process. To give both developers and users peace of mind, Samsung offers the Knox SDK, allowing partners and app developers to integrate advanced security solutions to their apps and services. In addition, Samsung has been working with German government agencies, especially BSI, and industry partners on developing a mobile-enabled eID for digital services to support customers and governments by developing a solid foundation for trusted identity services.

Seungyun Lee, Principal Engineer, Knox Platform for Enterprise, Samsung Electronics, discusses features that make Samsung Knox attractive to developers. “Knox is software that is built around hardware root of trust, not just implemented after the device is built” Lee explains, “giving it a foundation like no other security system in the market.”

Samsung invites developers and partners on its journey to bring new and secure experiences to life. For more information about working with Samsung and the Samsung Developer Conference 2019, please visit sdc.developer.samsung.com. Further information can also be found on Twitter (@samsung_dev) and using the hashtag #SDC19

SDC19’s keynote event was packed with people eager to learn more about Samsung’s latest innovations

About Samsung Developer Conference
SDC brings together thousands of developers and creators to explore today’s tech and visualize what’s possible in the future. The two-day conference will feature exciting keynote announcements, technical sessions and valuable networking time. Plus, Samsung product teams and technology partners will showcase the latest tech advances and tools.

* All services and programs mentioned above may vary by region